A Bennett in the ACC

Multiple sources are reporting that Tony Bennett is headed to the University of Virginia to become their new head basketball coach. A year ago, Bennett spurned overtures from Indiana and Marquette to potentially take over their basketball programs. Why Virginia and why now? A downy woodpecker that has frequented my bird feeder this winter tells me that Bennett felt a sense of loyalty towards WSU for providing him with a head coaching opportunity after his father’s retirement. Some had grumbled that Tony Bennett would never have been hired for the position if Dick Bennett hadn’t laid the groundwork with the WSU administration, and Tony was very cognizant and sensitive to this criticism. Tony has displayed solid coaching ability over the past two seasons, but long-term success in the PAC-10 would be very difficult to sustain from Pullman, Washington. Perhaps Tony needs to move on while he is still viewed as a hot coaching commodity.

Virginia will be a tough program to rebuild, and in hindsight the Indiana and Marquette positions might be better jobs. Good luck to Tony Bennett…he is going to need it.