Tony Bennett quit before he compromised. It was the most Bennett ending ever, the truest way a man of his conviction could say goodbye. It doesn’t take 10 minutes around Bennett to appreciate his substance, to marvel at how well he understands himself, to feel the strength of his character regardless of whether his beliefs seem too idealistic or old-fashioned.
He spent 18 years building a Hall of Fame coaching career with sincerity and grace. He developed his teams on five pillars, creating an indestructible standard. On Friday morning, he announced his retirement as the men’s basketball coach at Virginia, giving it all up because he’s uncertain he can tolerate the changing sport he loves.
He’s only 55, and when he flashes that boyish smile, you ignore all the gray in his hair. But Bennett is done. During his farewell remarks at John Paul Jones Arena, Bennett lost the fight to suppress his emotions.
“I realized I’m no longer the best coach to lead this program in this current environment,” he began, yielding often to tears. “If you’re going to do it, you’ve got to be all-in. You have to give everything.
If you do it half-hearted, then it’s not fair to the university and those young men.” The anti-player compensation faction will use his retirement to emphasize the ills of paying athletes. However, Bennett made it clear that he faults the lack of leadership and regulation – not the players – for a chaotic system that has turned lenient new transfer .
