Name the court after him, announce orange jerseys. And put Tony in charge of the program as GM. Thats the only way I can get over the sadness of today
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Obviously a very sad day but I just wanted to add my gratitude for TB. I am definitely one of those that never really questioned what he did bc I did feel that no matter what he always wanted to do the right thing. He made me proud to be a fan of UVa basketball. Being in Minneapolis for the Final Four run was the most exhilarating time of my life and I am forever thankful he got us there! I wish him only the best
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Iām still trying to digest the shock. This hurts but we are so grateful to have this future Hall of Famer lead this team through many great years . Games are going to be tough when we look at the bench and heās not thereā¦I know a lot of us are saddened but as Tony often quoted from the Bible. Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning! Thank You Tony
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Iāll write more later - but I love TB. Took my favorite team to heights I never dreamed of. Forever grateful
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UVA basketball was an important part of my dad and Iās relationship as he dealt with cancer - the first thing I thought when we won the national Championship was how excited my dad would have been. For that reason alone, UVA bball under CTB will likely always be my favorite team to have been a fan of.
But more than that, it always felt like he, and the team under him, were worth rooting for. There was a lot of success, of course, but UVA basketball was worth rooting for because it was being led by a good man. Incredibly grateful not just that, but how, he led this team for the past many years.
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2019 is the gift that can never be taken away. Thank you Tony!
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As the number in my username indicates, Iām a member of the UVA class of 2019. Those four years as a UVA hoops fan were a rollercoaster, to say the least. Started with Brogdonās last ride ending with the loss to Syracuse, an unremarkable year, and then the UMBC loss. I lived on 14th Street and that night in 2018 was the only time in the years that I lived there that you could hear a pin drop across the entire street. Utter silence.
The next year was so special. Seeing that team put it together throughout the year and then finally getting to watch UVA contend for a Championship. When they won, the entire house I was in was rocking. People poured onto the streets. Iāve never seen that kind of energy on Grounds before. Truly a magical night that I will never forget.
Sorry to see Tony go, but thank you CTB for the memories.
āUp ahead theyāve got Key. Say goodnightā¦ā
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My brother is a UVa grad. Hung out with Assane Sene and Mike Scott a bit his first year. Played pick up with Jontel Evans in his later years.
But me and my dad were always way more into it despite neither of us having attended. We adopted Virginia after moving to the state when I was 10 and being fans of college hoops.
Over my brothers time at UVa he got more and more invested. The three of us went to the famous Syracuse game in 2014 and had a blast.
He started having health trouble in 2015 and 2016. It was a strange mix of things doctors couldnāt pin point. He had to move home with my parents and gradually became more isolated. He stopped paying attention to Virginia basketball and much else.
He visited me during the 2019 final four. It was surprising because he wasnāt able to do much during that time. But he wanted a change of scene for a few days and I was glad to have him. During the finals I watched on the couch on my own and he went upstairs early. He was exhausted, and so focused on his health. He couldnāt muster the energy to watch.
But when we won he came out of his room and walked halfway down the stairs. He looked at me with some tears in his eyes and smirked, then walked back upstairs. Didnāt say a word. I couldnāt believe it. I hadnāt seen him smile in months, maybe years.
One of the more indelible memories I have. Something about the power of sports, and about the significance of that win. Heās doing better now, thankfully.
Iāll miss watching a team where you know everyone involved is deeply invested and just quality human beings.
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Thank you, Tony Bennett, for giving me my greatest memory in 10s of thousands of hours of watching sports: watching the confetti fall in Minny with three of my UVA buddies at my side. But, even more importantly, thanks for these three things:
- Strengthening and maintaining my friendships. There are some guys from UVA I probably would have lost touch with over the last 15 years without the basketball team keeping us connected. One who Iāve seen games with all over the US who came to my wedding in Brazil and traveled across the US for Copa America games with me just this summer in particular.
- Representing UVA with class, humility, and, dare I say, honor. One thing I love even more than UVA basketball is UVA itself. I would rather have you as our coach and lose every game for 15 years than have a sanctimonious prick (K) or an amoral jerk (too many to name) as our coach and win natty after natty. Everyone you hired and recruited to represent us represented us well.
- You were genuinely kind and friendly to me personally the few times we met.
May God bless you and give you strength and courage as you move forward into the next chapter of your life.
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Sincere for a moment:
UVA class of 2020, the COVID class. In other words, no graduation ceremony. I remember watching every game of the championship run my 3rd year. I remember exactly where I sat in JPJ to watch the livestream of the championship game.
UVA basketball always brings me back to grounds. It reminds me of home. And it is weird to think about how different it will be.
God this sucks.
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What I will appreciate about Tony beyond the sweet, sweet victories is how throughout his tenure his program helped me stay connected with fellow Hoos that I donāt live particularly close to but who have been dear friends now for two decades.
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This afternoon I revisited some emails between a hallmate and I from 2009 where we were sending information back and forth introducing each other to Bennett ball. Were we excited about the possibiliy of Jamil Tucker being a blocker and a mover? Did we think Sylven would fit into the system flawlessly? Did we have any other embarassing takes? Yes, yes, and yes. Were we convinced he was going to better then Gillen and Leitao? Fuck yes, so I guess all our takes werenāt that bad.
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My first-year roommate and I were together in Minneapolis. Generally I would consider him a realist but he was convinced the entire weekend that we were going to win. Even when things were bleak. Even when it took us a minute to realize KG was fouled because we were too far from the court to hear the whistle. After the game we ran into some other hallmates that we had not seen for 15 years, and stumbled around Minneapolis until the wee hours. I texted him this afternoon that I will never, ever forget that night. Thanks again TB.
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Over the past few years a group of us have converged on Charlottesville for one of the games around the holidays, which has given me an opportunity to get to see some young prospective Hoos grow up. Weāre doing so again for the Memphis game this year. I am not sure that would have happened but for Tony taking the program where he did.
One other memory:
My parents met when they were Purdue students (what up haney?). After regulation I called them and told them that I loved them, which is not a common occurence for their midwestern stock. Later they were happy that I got to see us win it all, and this year I was overjoyed to return the favor and host them and take them the Final 4 here. Of course, they bought much better tickets than we had in Minneapolis, but I got to see the nets get cut.
Iām glad this community exists so that we can share shit like this. I hope we can mostly stay positve through the ups and downs to come.
I will now stop posting until the Arbyās thread gets spicy again.
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This thread rules.
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My dad and I have been avid UVA sports fans form as long as I can remember (35+ years). Weāve gone to many basketball and football games (used to have season tickets to football). But, my single greatest UVA sports memory is that 2019 NC run.
We were both on the edge of our seats the entire time. I will NEVER forget those feelings and the euphoria of the clock hitting 00:00 in the finale and jumping up and screaming āWe actually did it!!!ā
Tony Bennett delivered those moments. I will be forever grateful to him as our coach. He was the face of UVA athletics. I will miss seeing him coaching dearly. I am torn to pieces trying to process this actually happening. But that will come with time.
For nowā¦thank you Tony Bennett. Thank. You.
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Keep it coming yallā¦ so far sooooo good!!!
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Love the process that got UVa here
Love the results - both on and off the court
Love the coach - Hall of Fame and one of the very best in the ACCās storied history
Love the man - never compromised by the fame - the 5 pillars embodied
My biggest love though is still the school - Wahoo thru and thru forever
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Watched the 2019 NCAA title game tonight. What a beaut! Hunter was unstoppable in the second half.
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Never considered how much more fun it would have been with a good basketball team during my tenure. 2007 was a fun team and the $$ game winner versus Duke was the best sports memory of my years at UVA, but frankly the team stunk compared to 2014-19.
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Put simply - these messages, this thread, this website, all exist because of Tony Bennett. He was the architect of it all. That is how he should be remembered.
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I came to UVA the same year as Courtney Alexander, Scott Johnson and Daryl Pressley and the year Melvin Whitaker was supposed to enter. Suffice to say, the basketball team most of my years in school were not good. Didnāt stop me from going to most of the games and rushing the court at UHall when we beat Wake with Tim Duncan.
But I didnāt keep following the team the decade after I graduated. Not until Tony Bennett brought me back as a fan. He was the best coach we could have ever dreamed for. 2019 was a fantasy run. Sitting in Minneapolis with my friends was the highlight of my sports fandom life.
Thank you Tony Bennett for making that memory for me.
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Iām not very eloquent, so Iāll just say it was amazing having Tony as the head coach of my favorite team for 15 years. I feel very lucky. 2019 will forever be one of my greatest memories.
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