Tony Bennett officially is the man in the charge of the Virginia men’s basketball team.
The hiring of Bennett to replace former coach Dave Leitao — who resigned two weeks ago — may have surprised many Cavalier fans, but Athletic Director Craig Littlepage said he is thrilled to have Bennett as Virginia’s new head coach.
At yesterday’s press conference formally announcing Bennett’s hiring, Littlepage recalled a conversation he had with someone familiar with West Coast and Pac-10 basketball and the response he received when Bennett’s name was broached as a potential candidate.
“I mentioned Tony’s name, and there was kind of a silence,” Little page said. “I was taken aback, because the response was, ‘You have to be kidding me.’ I took that to be a bad thing. [Instead,] he actually says, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. If you can get this guy, it would be exactly what you need.’”
Bennett also possesses all of the characteristics University President John Casteen, III expects of Virginia coaches.
“[Bennett] embodies the personal qualities,” Casteen said. “The sense of the importance of the athlete as a human being, the importance of building a winning program, the importance of meeting the academic demands and delivering the lifelong credentials that we intend to give to our students. He embodies the value of Virginia athletics.”
Bennett comes to Virginia from Washington State, where he served as an assistant for four years with his father, Dick, before becoming the program’s head coach for the last three years. His first two seasons as head coach were among the most successful in Cougar history. In Bennett’s first year at the helm, Washington State went 26-8, finishing second in the Pac-10 and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Bennett’s impressive freshman year earned him AP National Coach of the Year honors. The Cougars experienced even more success during the following season, going 26-9 and advancing to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. Although Washington State finished 17-16 this past season, it did so while playing a significant number of underclassmen.
Bennett made it clear yesterday that he cannot wait to get things underway in Charlottesville.
“Everything is in place here at the University of Virginia,” Bennett said. “I can’t wait to get recruits here. I can’t wait to get them here and show them what this is about. You can’t ask for much more as a head coach to have a place like this.”
One concern among Cavalier fans about Bennett’s hiring is his reputation for playing a deliberate and “boring” style of offense. Bennett, however, said the team will have opportunities to push the ball up the court and hang with teams like North Carolina and Duke, who play an up-tempo game.
“I think that sometimes in the past our style has been considered real slow, but there will be opportunities to run,” Bennett said. “There will be opportunities to get out and go, as long as you are sound and tough.”
Members of the current Virginia basketball team did not express concern about Bennett’s offensive style, either.
“He told us that he would adjust [his offense] to his personnel,” freshman guard Sylven Landesberg said. “Hopefully when he comes in, starts seeing us play and practice more he’ll see that we can get up and down [the court].”
Defense, however, most likely will remain a central focus. Bennett’s teams in Pullman were among the best in the nation in defensive efficiency, which should be welcome news to Cavalier fans, as Virginia finished last in the ACC this year in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense.
“When I watch the NBA playoffs, the Final Four, other sports, you always see great defense as the stuff that carries you, so that has to be your calling card,” Bennett said. “It’s simplicity with execution, but kids have to buy in, and you have to hold them accountable to play the way that we want to play defensively.”
Jon Oliver, Virginia’s executive associate athletic director, played a major part in the hiring of Bennett. Oliver has connections with Washington State, serving six years in various aspects of the athletic department. He wanted to make the coaching search as secret as possible.
“My goal here was to make sure not to get on [the media’s] radar screen,” Oliver said. “I think I accomplished that.”
Bennett also emphasized that he aims to get the fans in John Paul Jones Arena excited, and he plans to reach out to the students to help make that happen.
“You have to get this to be a home court advantage in a league like [the ACC],” Bennett said.
Looking to prepare for next season, Bennett already has started constructing his supporting staff. Liberty coach Ritchie McKay announced yesterday he will assist Bennett in Charlottesville.
Bennett knows what his assistants must do to be successful.
“They’ve got to be able to recruit, have ties in this talent rich state, have to be able to coach,” Bennett said. “They have to be able to really develop [players] and make sure that it’s a student-athlete experience that they will never forget.”
Now that Virginia has a coach in place, Bennett will next attempt to convince two high school seniors — point guard Jontel Evans and small forward Tristan Spurlock — to honor their letters of intent and remain Charlottesville bound.
“They need to meet me and know what I stand for,” Bennett said. “That’s significant.”
Bennett said he has a plan to turn Virginia basketball around — a plan based on his own marriage.
“When my wife and I were flying over here, we started talking about how the press conference is like your wedding day,” Bennett said. “It’s a celebration, there’s a lot of promise, a lot of excitement. But what really matters, quite honestly, is the marriage. That’s the daily investment, the promise over time, and that commitment. I think that is what it takes to build a program, and I am so excited to do that here at the University of Virginia. You have to ask my wife if our marriage is good, so hopefully it is.”
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