When the Virginia Cavaliers landed Tony Bennett, it came after the talented young coach had been linked to multiple other jobs in recent years. Bennett, previously with the Washington State Cougars, was in the mix for vacancies at Indiana and LSU, but he opted to remain where his head coaching career began. Even the decision for Bennett to accept the head coaching offer from Virginia wasn’t easy, and he apparently nearly didn’t take it. As David Teel of the Daily Press reported, he was set to turn down the job and remain with Washington State when his wife, Laurel, suggested he take more time to think on it. The rest of the story was history, as Bennett has made the Cavaliers a juggernaut in the ACC and a team consistently competing for the ACC title. Tony Bennett’s Virginia Tenure Starts in 2009-10 Following a three-year stretch as the head coach at Washington State and two NCAA tournament appearances, Bennett’s first season at Virginia came in 2009-10. His time with the Cougars wrapped up with a 69-33 record, and although it took a few years to turn the tides with his new team, the coach got the job done. After the Cavaliers posted records of 15-16 and 16-15 over his first two years, Bennett’s team went 22-10 in year No. 3 and advanced to the NCAA tournament. They’ve won at least 23 games in each of the seven seasons to follow, making the tournament in six consecutive years. Over the 10 years Bennett has been with Virginia, no season has been as impressive as the 2018-19 one, which resulted in the team’s run to the national title game. Tony Bennett’s Accomplishments With Virginia Basketball The trip to the 2019 NCAA Tournament National Championship takes the cake, without question, but Bennett has done a number of impressive things. They began early during his tenure with the program as well. Just two years into his time with Virginia, the team posted a 22-win season in 2011-12, which was good for the most wins in school history over the span of 17 years. Two years after that the Cavaliers wrapped up the 2013-14 season by winning both the regular season ACC title and also the conference championship. They finished the year ranked as the No. 3 team in the country, marking the school’s highest spot since being No. 1 during the 1982-83 season. Bennett has been named the ACC Coach of the Year four times (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019). He’s also won the Henry Iba Award, given to the best college basketball coach as voted on by the United States Basketball Writers Association three times (2007*, 2015, 2018). Finally, Bennett earned the nod as the Naismith College Coach of the Year and AP National Coach of the Year in both 2007* and 2018. *Note: The 2007 honors all came while with Washington State. He enters the national title game with a record of 253-89 over his 10 seasons with Virginia, which moves his overall career record to 322-122 in 13 years. READ NEXT: Fan Pegs Kyle Guy as No. 1 NBA Draft Pick Over Zion Williamson<doc-sep>MINNEAPOLIS — As he cut the last strand, and pulled the net away from the rim, Tony Bennett turned. He looked around and smiled, then raised the net above his head — almost, and only for a moment, sheepishly. Then the coach climbed down the ladder. And if Bennett’s celebration were low-key, it was also true to form. An 85-77 overtime victory against Texas Tech secured the national championship for Virginia, completing a year’s journey of redemption. No one would have blamed the coach for excessive celebration, given the accomplishment. It was more than the Cavaliers’ first national championship, a crowning moment for any coach at any time. It meant coming full circle after that stunning first-round loss to UMBC last year — the first time a No. 16 seed had ever beaten a No. 1 in the NCAA tournament. And it provided validation for Bennett’s unusual coaching philosophy — that relentless focus on defense and correspondingly methodical offense — which was seen by many as the reason for several postseason flame-outs. UVA BREAKTHROUGH:Cavaliers shed label of postseason underachiever DECIDING FACTORS:Three key moments in Virginia's championship win FUTURE PROS:Meeting of NBA lottery picks ultimately decides NCAA title Not that Bennett ever seemed to need any affirmation. In the aftermath of the loss to UMBC, he was praised for the graceful way he handled the gut-wrenching defeat. His demeanor didn’t change in the months since — or even late Monday night, when he finally ascended to the top of his profession and, holding that net, took a quick look around. Turns out, a national championship doesn’t define him any more than a first-round upset did. “You have scars, right? You have a scar, and it reminds you of that, but it’s a memory,” Bennett said. “Does it go away completely? No. I wish it wouldn’t have happened in some ways. Now I say, ‘Well, it bought us a ticket here. So be it.’ “I’m thankful in a way for what happened because it did, it drew me closer, most importantly, to my faith in the Lord, drew me closer to my wife and children, just because you realize what’s unconditional. In those spots when the world’s telling you you’re a failure, you’re a loser, and you’re the worst thing going and all that stuff, you say, ‘OK, what really matters?’ And it pushed me to that in a way.” Bennett said the upset made him work even harder as a coach, too. This year’s Cavaliers were as good as always defensively, and better on offense. And they were perhaps better prepared for the kinds of teams that gave them the most trouble. They were clearly fortified mentally for the almost daily reminders of UMBC. Bennett called it their “united pursuit” — but it began with his response. Kyle Guy, the Cavaliers’ junior guard who was named the Final Four’s most outstanding player, said winning the national title for Bennett “means the world.” Junior guard Ty Jerome said: “We couldn’t have done this with any other coach.” One coach in attendance seemed completely unsurprised by Bennett’s understated response to winning it all. Dick Bennett, Tony’s father and the former Wisconsin coach — he reached the Final Four in 2000 — did not attend Virginia’s semifinal game against Auburn because of anxiety issues. He informed his son Monday afternoon he would be there for the title game. “I’m so glad he came to that last game,” Tony Bennett said. “I wasn’t sure. ... It’s great to be able to share this stuff with your dad and family. His impact has been huge on me.” Afterward, Dick Bennett told reporters he attended largely because he wanted to be there for his son if things went awry. “I had to be here,” Dick Bennett said. “I thought it was more important to be here in case they lost.” Tony’s response when they won? It was what Dick Bennett expected. “If Tony went over the moon on this, it would surprise both his mother and I,” Dick Bennett said, “because he appreciates it for what it is.” And in a weird way, Tony Bennett even appreciates that loss to UMBC, in part because of how, he believes, it led to Monday’s moment. “It makes you appreciate it,” Bennett said. “I never thought of myself being a national championship coach. ... I love the game, but it’s not my end-all, be-all. “I just think there was a bigger plan going on here, and I didn’t need it, but I was used in it. I hope that it’s a message for some people out there that there can be hope and joy and resiliency. I’m thankful for what’s happened. That’s why I did what I did at the end.” He did not mean that moment on the ladder, but rather a quick prayer just after the buzzer sounded. Bennett put his head down, and said: “Thank you. I’m humbled, Lord, because I don’t deserve to be in this spot. But you chose me to be here, and I’ll give thanks.” And later, in the locker room, he told the Cavaliers: “Promise me you will remain humble and thankful for this. Don’t let this change you. It doesn’t have to. … But stay humble and stay thankful. It’s a great story.”<doc-sep>Within moments of leading the University of Virginia to its first NCAA men's basketball national title, Tony Bennett was already looking to parlay the accomplishment into something better. No, he wasn't requesting a raise or contract extension (Although, you'd have to figure the man will be made Coach for Life at UVA if he wants) or searching for an NBA coaching gig, but rather a tee time at Augusta National. And he knew he had just the right man to ask.<doc-sep>
Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett is a Scripture-quoting, God-fearing man but apparently he has a devilish side, too. During a preseason team-building exercise, Bennett took his players whitewater rafting in West Virginia and apparently at least one player cannot swim. “And some of our guys were scared to death, so it was even more fun to watch them be scared to death,’’ Bennett recalled Sunday. “It was the highest point of the rapids, and we had -- our guys' eyes were big. We had to beg Dre (De’Andre Hunter, a sophomore guard) — I can't remember some of them; I call him out -- ‘It's going to be okay.’ But, no, we just wanted to have a blast.’’ To hear from some of Virginia’s players, the whitewater rafting trip produced more anxiety than their next challenge — playing third-seeded Texas Tech Monday at U.S. Bank Stadium for the NCAA national championship. “I don’t like water, I’m not a good swimmer,’’ Hunter said. “It was kind of tough for me to be there. … “They kept saying they were going to flip the boat and push me in. It wasn’t funny. It was not funny at all.’’ TITLE GAME PREVIEW:Breaking down Texas Tech vs. Virginia RIGHT CALL:Official gets last-second foul on Auburn correct PRESSURE MOMENT:Kyle Guy was 'terrified' taking winning free throws Marco Anthony, a sophomore guard, said the trip was fun — sort of. “Me, personally, I don’t know how to swim, so I was kind of nervous the whole time,’’ he said. “But I had the life jacket on. Kinda helped me out a little bit.’’ Kyle Guy, Virginia’s star guard, apparently enjoyed it as much as Virginia’s coach did. “When you see De’Andre and Marco getting in the water, that’s what you live for,’’ Guy said. “It’s created better chemistry off the court, and that’s probably translated to on the court. That’s all coach Bennett. He’s a wizard with that stuff.” Contributing: Scott Gleeson, Nancy Armour