Cue the "Buzz to Virginia" worry warts.
Tony Bennett retiring immediately
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Last: 1 mo ago by Hearne_Ag
If he's retiring now its probably because he wants to make sure they hire one of his assistants right? I mean we're a week into preseason practices and games start in three weeks.
Weird.
Weird.
Mark Turgeon is available
Either he is experiencing a major, unexpected health issue or there is a scandal brewing. There's no other reason you retire 20 days before the first game of the season. I like Bennett, but I won't miss those 47-43 barnburners UVA had become famous for.
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
He might be the last guy I'd expect to be involved in a scandal, but you never know. I suspect health issue.
Yep. Kinda waiting for the other shoe to drop. I guess I hope this is scandal rather than health - it seems much less permanent. Either way, this is likely not good news.
They're saying it's not health related and it would be truly shocking if he has a scandal brewing, but the timing is definitely crazy. Only thing that makes sense to me is he's forcing their hand on who to hire, but that's also kind of a **** move.
Tony Bennett meant to retire after the end of the college basketball season but unfortunately he ranks 351st in pace
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) October 17, 2024
ZING!
Lady Gaga figured out he isn't the late singer and ghosted him…
Leaving because he can't deal with NIL and the need for faster pace.
He just get the NIL memo this morning?
Yet he signed a 6 year contract extension this summer. I'm pretty sure he knew about NIL thenDouble Diamond said:
Leaving because he can't deal with NIL and the need for faster pace.
bobinator said:
If he's retiring now its probably because he wants to make sure they hire one of his assistants right? I mean we're a week into preseason practices and games start in three weeks.
Weird.
If something seems weird, it is weird.
Totally planned or totally unplanned.
Nothing casual here. I really doubt Coach Bennett woke up last week and said, "You know? I'm not feeling it. I'm out".
NIL is brutal on college sports, brutal on fans, and brutal on coaches. Most players are just free agents they have been taken advantage of for years and now this is where we are.
If I had to guess (and I am). As mentioned before, Bennett's timing is to get an "Interim" label slapped on his top assistant for the season and not let it be a choice by committee.
At 55, his retirement will be interesting to watch. He's got the face for TV. Sure in a couple of years we'll see him on ESPN.
Don't think it health, hope it's not some extramarital cr@p, confident it is not casual.
Good luck Tony… you left a lot of people scratching their heads.
Can't wait to see them allow more than 60 points and have their fan base implode
He hates the way the game is headed with NIL and free agency. He wanted his assistants to remain on staff and get an opportunity. Could be a **** move but, I'm sure he could care less as long as he's treating those around him the right way. It's an adapt or die environment right now and we are losing some great ones that don't think it's worth adapting.
Tony Bennett says he knew it was time to step down because he couldn't do it anymore and did it now instead of at the end of the season because "I've always wanted this to be taken over by one of my staff members."
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) October 18, 2024
I have a problem with this. The basketball program doesn't belong to Tony Bennett, It belongs to the University of Virginia. . If you step down in April and the university wants your input on replacements that's one thing. But doing it to force their hand and hire one of your assistants is crappy. I know you can't say anything negative about the super nice Tony Bennett, but this is crap move by him
That was my suspicion from the very beginning, and I agree.
Meh, dick move or not, it's his prerogative to do as he pleases. I'm not sure it was to leave the program in his assistant's hands though.
Watching Tony Bennett’s news conference and he is honest and genuine on why he wasn’t the right fit for the current state of the game. He’s old school. He embraces players getting compensation but worried about the overall health of college sports going forward. He elevated…
— Andy Katz (@TheAndyKatz) October 18, 2024
Quote:
Watching Tony Bennett's news conference and he is honest and genuine on why he wasn't the right fit for the current state of the game. He's old school. He embraces players getting compensation but worried about the overall health of college sports going forward. He elevated Virginia Hoops. His character never changed. Bennett leaves UVA knowing he did it the right way. Bennett said he thought about this decision in the spring but was energized by the new class of Cavaliers. But a fall break trip with his wife Laurel last weekend allowed him to re-evaluate his life's priorities. And that's when he knew it was time.
Dick move…these feelings did not just creep up on him…even if one of his assistants (Sanchez?) takes over and that was his plan all along, it is still a dick move three weeks from the season if the reason isn't some sudden health matter or family matter he must tend to.
Guess lots of old coaches will be doing this who want nothing to do with nil.
Guess lots of old coaches will be doing this who want nothing to do with nil.
I kinda think it's less this and more a generation of coaches who don't want to just live and breathe basketball all the time. It's definitely a time of major changes in the model for college coaches, and I think you're seeing some of them that were on the edge of retirement age just go ahead and pull the trigger.St Hedwig Aggie said:
Guess lots of old coaches will be doing this who want nothing to do with nil.
But I also think you're going to see a little more of this in general as the "work/life balance" crowd ages up as opposed to the coach-until-I-can't generation.
"NIL" has become a catch-all term for a lot of things, but I think the thing that's actually frustrating basketball coaches is the free transfers. Having to keep in mind that players on your roster can just up and leave without penalty is, BY FAR, the biggest change in the basketball world.
I don't really think NIL has changed things all that much in basketball other than programs just needing more cash. But the best programs are still getting the best players. Because all of the best basketball players were already getting paid and because basketball already kind of had the infrastructure for paying players in place I don't think the actual NIL stuff has made that big of a difference compared to other sports.
Discussion question: If players don't owe anything to the university why should coaches? Again, this model of college athletics doesn't breed loyalty, something that is/was attractive about college > pro sports.MarcAg said:Tony Bennett says he knew it was time to step down because he couldn't do it anymore and did it now instead of at the end of the season because "I've always wanted this to be taken over by one of my staff members."
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) October 18, 2024
I have a problem with this. The basketball program doesn't belong to Tony Bennett, It belongs to the University of Virginia. . If you step down in April and the university wants your input on replacements that's one thing. But doing it to force their hand and hire one of your assistants is crappy. I know you can't say anything negative about the super nice Tony Bennett, but this is crap move by him
The only reason the old system bred loyalty was because players had no choice. And coaches don't owe the school anything, but for a guy with a reputation of "doing things the right way," whatever that means to you, just up and quitting three weeks before the season starts because the vibe is off or whatever is a tough look.
BuzzFan24 said:Discussion question: If players don't owe anything to the university why should coaches? Again, this model of college athletics doesn't breed loyalty, something that is/was attractive about college > pro sports.MarcAg said:Tony Bennett says he knew it was time to step down because he couldn't do it anymore and did it now instead of at the end of the season because "I've always wanted this to be taken over by one of my staff members."
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) October 18, 2024
I have a problem with this. The basketball program doesn't belong to Tony Bennett, It belongs to the University of Virginia. . If you step down in April and the university wants your input on replacements that's one thing. But doing it to force their hand and hire one of your assistants is crappy. I know you can't say anything negative about the super nice Tony Bennett, but this is crap move by him
My issue is not him resigning. My issue is him doing it at the time he did just so one of his assistants can get the job for this season.
That's the least of my worries.Know Your Enemy said:
Cue the "Buzz to Virginia" worry warts.
But in all seriousness I have no issues with him leaving this way. If players can leave four games into a football season and declare a redshirt year, he can leave whenever he wants.
Yes let's get back to paying players under the table thru the clean upstanding world of AAU basketball
MarcAg said:BuzzFan24 said:Discussion question: If players don't owe anything to the university why should coaches? Again, this model of college athletics doesn't breed loyalty, something that is/was attractive about college > pro sports.MarcAg said:Tony Bennett says he knew it was time to step down because he couldn't do it anymore and did it now instead of at the end of the season because "I've always wanted this to be taken over by one of my staff members."
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) October 18, 2024
I have a problem with this. The basketball program doesn't belong to Tony Bennett, It belongs to the University of Virginia. . If you step down in April and the university wants your input on replacements that's one thing. But doing it to force their hand and hire one of your assistants is crappy. I know you can't say anything negative about the super nice Tony Bennett, but this is crap move by him
My issue is not him resigning. My issue is him doing it at the time he did just so one of his assistants can get the job for this season.
Who would you be more loyal too? A school that will fire you the first chance they get if you have a bad season or guys who have been in the fight with you through all of it. As a coach, I kind of like the move. Show loyalty to the guys who helped you be so successful. Wish more would do it.
There's a few things here.coachallout said:
Who would you be more loyal too? A school that will fire you the first chance they get if you have a bad season or guys who have been in the fight with you through all of it. As a coach, I kind of like the move. Show loyalty to the guys who helped you be so successful. Wish more would do it.
1) He wasn't getting fired any time soon no matter how bad he was. He signed a new contract through 2030 just this summer. The University of Virginia has shown him plenty of loyalty.
2) It's not his job to give.
3) You wish more coaches would just quite three weeks before the season starts and force schools to give the interim jobs to their assistants? That's crazy.
If you think the only way the school is going to give the job to one of your assistants is if you force them to then it means your assistant probably isn't really qualified for the job.
coachallout said:MarcAg said:BuzzFan24 said:Discussion question: If players don't owe anything to the university why should coaches? Again, this model of college athletics doesn't breed loyalty, something that is/was attractive about college > pro sports.MarcAg said:Tony Bennett says he knew it was time to step down because he couldn't do it anymore and did it now instead of at the end of the season because "I've always wanted this to be taken over by one of my staff members."
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) October 18, 2024
I have a problem with this. The basketball program doesn't belong to Tony Bennett, It belongs to the University of Virginia. . If you step down in April and the university wants your input on replacements that's one thing. But doing it to force their hand and hire one of your assistants is crappy. I know you can't say anything negative about the super nice Tony Bennett, but this is crap move by him
My issue is not him resigning. My issue is him doing it at the time he did just so one of his assistants can get the job for this season.
Who would you be more loyal too? A school that will fire you the first chance they get if you have a bad season
A school that gave him an extension 4 months ago despite the fact he hasn't won a tournament game in 5 years.
Is this similar to the Maryland deal that resulted in Turgeon's move. I can't recall if that was health related and it wasn't THIS late but it was pretty ****ing late.
For comparison, that was in early May!
I'm guessing most of you having issues with a coach supposedly showing no loyalty have no issues with players leaving in the new NCAA world. What's good for the players is good for coaches.
Everyone is free to do what they want, nobody is saying there should be rules against this, but it's still a lame move.
There's also an obvious difference. If a coach is retiring he doesn't give a **** if this potentially looks bad because he's not trying to get hired somewhere.
Players are free to do it, but I imagine coaches are going to be hesitant to recruit someone who quits midseason.
Again, free to do it, doesn't mean it's a good thing to do.
There's also an obvious difference. If a coach is retiring he doesn't give a **** if this potentially looks bad because he's not trying to get hired somewhere.
Players are free to do it, but I imagine coaches are going to be hesitant to recruit someone who quits midseason.
Again, free to do it, doesn't mean it's a good thing to do.
Buzz said this is the exact way he would resign from coaching so get your pitchforks ready.
When did he say he was going to up and retire three weeks before the season starts? I imagine him being more like one of other coaches that wait until the season ends and then just go out on a random Tuesday with no warning.
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