After an impressive tenure with the Virginia basketball program, head coach Tony Bennett has signed a major contract extension. Bennett has inked a deal that will keep him under contract with the Cavaliers until April 30th, 2023, Virginia Athletics announced Thursday. The move is pivotal for the team's plans to remain a force in the ACC.
Tony Bennett's new contract has a key term. If Bennett is Virginia's head coach on April 30th, 2026, the contract has an automatic one-year rollover extending him until April 30th, 2031. Virginia Director of Athletics Carla Williams released a statement alongside the news of Bennett's extension.
“Tony Bennett is foundational to our efforts to compete for championships in this new model of college athletics,” Williams said, per Virginia Athletics. “He embodies everything important to the University of Virginia and Virginia Athletics. It’s an honor to work with him and we’re thrilled about the future of men’s basketball under his leadership.”
Bennett plans to enter his 16th year as Virginia's head coach. He has helped the Cavaliers to an NCAA Championship (2019), two ACC tournament titles (2014 and 2018), and six regular season ACC regular-season championships (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023). In addition, Bennett earned two of his three National Coach of the Year honors at UVA (2015 and 2018) and is a four-time ACC Coach of the Year recipient.
The longtime head coach has accumulated a 364-136 record at Virginia. He has guided the program to 12 consecutive postseason appearances. Moreover, UVA has 23 or more games in 10 seasons under Bennett's leadership. Bennett impressively passed the late Terry Holland (326-173, 16 seasons) as UVA’s all-time winningest coach with the win over Syracuse during the 2022-23 season.
Tony Bennett issues statement amid major Virginia basketball contract move
Bennett is just as fond of the Cavaliers program as they are of him. He expressed his thoughts on the contract move with an insightful statement.
“I love UVA and it has always been a special place for me and my family,” Bennett said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with Carla Williams and Jim Ryan and to represent the University of Virginia. My staff and I look forward to adapting to the new landscape of college athletics. We will continue to build one of the best basketball programs on and off the court without compromising the values of our university. Go Hoos!”
Bennett and the Cavaliers are coming off a 23-211 season, which placed them third in the ACC standings. Their strong showing saw them earn an NCAA Tournament First-Four berth, where they took on the Colorado Buffaloes. Unfortunately, Virginia lost 67-42, marking the end of the postseason run. Nevertheless, the team looks to pick up where they left off in 2024-25.
The Cavaliers aspire to make a deeper run and get back to the national championship final. Of course, their journey will not be easy. With Duke, North Carolina, and March Madness Final Four runner-up North Carolina State, the Cavaliers have steep competition. Yet, history shows that with Tony Bennett at the helm, Virginia can accomplish great things.
It will be interesting to see how the program performs sin 2024 and beyond.