One of men's college basketball's longtime coaches is hanging up the clipboard.
Virginia's men's basketball coach Tony Bennett announced his retirement from the role on Friday at a press conference in Charlottesville, Virginia.
"I have been here for 15 years as the head coach ... this position has been on loan and it's time for me to give it back," an emotional Bennett said. "I've given everything I had for 15 years."
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
Bennett coached Virginia for 15 seasons, posting a 364-136 record and guiding the Cavaliers to the NCAA title in 2019.
In addition to the national championship triumph, Bennett led the team to two ACC Tournament titles, six ACC regular-season championships and 10 NCAA tournament appearances. He was named ACC Coach of the Year four times (2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019).
The 55-year-old played as a guard at Green Bay during his college days before playing for the Charlotte Hornets from 1992-95.
NCAAB
Prior to joining Virginia as the head coach in 2009, he held coaching roles with New Zealand's North Harbour Kings, where he had a one-year stint as a player, and Wisconsin and Washington State as an assistant.
Bennett eventually became the head coach at Washington State from 2006 to 2009, going 69-33 overall and reaching the Sweet 16 in his second season.
The Wisconsin native joins a growing list of notable college coaches who have retired since 2021, such as Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Jim Boeheim and Jim Calhoun, among others.
