Virginia’s next coach will be Tony Bennett, who informed Washington State administrators and players that he has accepted the Cavaliers’ job offer. Washington State Athletic Director Jim Sterk confirmed Bennett’s departure with ESPN.com.
Sterk said that Virginia asked for permission to speak with Bennett last Friday. Monday afternoon Bennett informed Sterk and WSU president Elson S. Floyd of his decision to accept the position at Virginia. Following those conversations, Bennett informed his players of his decision.
“Dick and Tony Bennett have elevated the men’s basketball program at Washington State to an unprecedented level of success,” Sterk said in a statement released by the university. “We will begin a national search for a coach immediately with the goal of finding someone with the integrity, experience, and values that Dick and Tony brought to the program.
In three seasons with Washington State, Tony Bennett led the Cougars to a 69-33 record. He worked as an assistant to his father, Dick Bennett, before becoming head coach. Tony Bennett took Washington State to its first NCAA Tournament in 13 years in 2007. Bennett’s teams play a slow-paced, defensive-minded brand of basketball that is atypical for most ACC teams. All but 10 ACC teams rank in the top half of the NCAA for tempo while the Cougars were the fifth slowest of 344 Division I teams this season.
Bennett replaced Dave Leitao, who resigned March 16 after the Cavaliers finished the season 10-18. The mark was the program’s worst record in more than 40 years. A former Connecticut assistant coach, Leitao led Virginia to a 63-60 record in four seasons.
