Tony Bennett Biography

Tony Bennett is in his second year as the men's head basketball coach at the University of Virginia. Bennett came to Charlottesville after spending the previous three seasons as the head coach at Washington State where he was the 2007 National Coach of the Year.

Bennett's first Virginia team finished the 2009-10 season with an overall record of 15-16, an improvement of five wins over the previous season (10-18 in 2008-09). The 15 wins included three victories over nationally-ranked opponents. The Cavaliers ranked 12th nationally in free throw percentage (74.8 percent, 386-516) and 13th nationally in fewest turnovers a game (average of 10.7 turnovers per game) in 2009-10. UVa also ranked third in the Atlantic Coast Conference in points allowed per game at 63.6, an improvement of 8.9 points a game from the 2008-09 season.

Bennett was introduced as the head coach of the Virginia men's basketball program on April 1, 2009.

“Tony Bennett comes to the University of Virginia with a plan to build our program,” UVa Athletics Director Craig Littlepage said at Bennett's introductory press conference. “He is an outstanding basketball coach and is a perfect fit for UVa. He has all of the needed coaching and leadership skills along with an understanding of how to succeed in a highly competitive academic and basketball environment. He has demonstrated success in the Pacific-10 Conference. His teams have beaten the elite programs in that conference and he will bring the same type of success and energy to the University of Virginia.”

In three seasons at Washington State, Bennett led the Cougars to a 69-33 record, including a 32-22 mark in the Pac-10. Washington State’s 69 wins over those three seasons are the most over any three-year period in school history. He led the Cougars to the 2007 and 2008 NCAA Tournaments, the only time WSU has made consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

“Coach Bennett has a keen understanding of what it takes to be a successful student-athlete as well as a successful collegiate coach. He possesses the personal qualities – thoughtful leadership and commitment – to take over the helm of the University’s men’s basketball program,” said University of Virginia President John T. Casteen III. “We are confident that he is the right choice.”

Bennett said he was honored at being named UVa’s men’s head basketball coach and noted that the University represented all of the things that are important to him and his family.

“I’m coming from a place in Washington State University that was all about family. It was the people that made the place so special,” he said. “I will be forever grateful to WSU President Elson S. Floyd, Athletics Director Jim Sterk, and the young men I had the privilege of coaching while I was there, as well as the WSU fans.”

In making the decision to come to the University of Virginia, Bennett said that he was impressed by the University’s academic reputation, the elite facilities, the prestige of the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the city of Charlottesville. “As important as all those things are,” he added, “it will be about the people and the family atmosphere in the program. When my wife and I visited, we were both very impressed with how genuine Craig Littlepage and Jon Oliver (executive associate director of athletics) were – and the passion they have for the success of the men’s basketball program. I look forward to working with the young men in this program to build something special in the long term.”

In his first season as a head coach in 2006-07, Bennett took a Washington State squad projected to finish last in the Pac-10 prior to the season and led it to 26 wins (26-8 record), matching the school record, and a second-place finish in the conference with a 13-5 mark. That year, the Cougars made their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 13 years, defeating Oral Roberts in the first round before suffering a double-overtime loss to Vanderbilt in the second round.

For his work in 2006-07, Bennett became the most decorated Pac-10 coach in a single season. He was named National Coach of the Year by nine organizations, including the Associated Press, The Sporting News and the United States Basketball Writers Association. In addition, Bennett was the Pac-10 Coach of the Year, the United States Basketball Writers Association District 9 Coach of the Year and the National Association of Basketball Coaches District 14 Coach of the Year that season.

In 2007-08, Bennett’s Cougars were ranked in the AP preseason poll (10th) for the first time in school history and were ranked a school-record No. 4 during the season. That squad finished with a 26-9 record, once again tying the school record for wins, and had an 11-7 mark in the Pac-10. Washington State advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 for the first time in school history, defeating Winthrop and Notre Dame in the first two rounds of the tournament. The Cougars fell to top-seeded North Carolina in the regional semifinal in Charlotte, N.C.

In 2008-09, Bennett led the Cougars to their third consecutive postseason appearance. Washington State posted a 17-16 record and participated in the National Invitation Tournament. The Cougars defeated NCAA Tournament teams Arizona, Arizona State (twice), Mississippi State, and UCLA during the season. The road victory at UCLA was just the second for the Cougars at Pauley Pavilion in the last 53 years.

Bennett’s teams have not only been successful on the court, but also in the classroom. Virginia's Jerome Meyinsse received the ACC's Skip Prosser Award in 2010 as the conference's top men's basketball student-athlete, and Meyinsse and Will Sherrill were named to the 2010 ACC All-Academic Men's Basketball Team. Four Washington State players were named to the 2009 Pac-10 All-Academic First Team, while a school-record five players (three first team and two second team) were honored as Pac-10 All-Academic selections the year before. The conference’s Scholar Athlete of the Year for men’s basketball in 2008 and 2009 were members of the Washington State program.

Before taking over as the head coach at Washington State, Bennett was on the staff of his father, Dick, for three seasons in Pullman, the last two as associate head coach. The previous four years Bennett was at Wisconsin, serving on the staffs of his father, Brad Soderberg and current Badger head coach Bo Ryan. While Bennett was at Wisconsin the Badgers participated in the NCAA Tournament all four years, reaching the 2000 Final Four and the Sweet 16 in 2003. Wisconsin also earned a share of the Big Ten title in 2002 and 2003. Bennett was instrumental in the recruiting of Devin Harris, the fifth overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, to Wisconsin.

Bennett played for his father at Wisconsin-Green Bay from 1989-92. He graduated from Wisconsin-Green Bay in 1992 and finished his career as the Mid-Continent Conference’s all-time leader in career points (2,285) and assists (601). His 49.7 career 3-point field goal percentage is still an NCAA record. Bennett helped the Phoenix to an 87-34 record during his collegiate career, including one NCAA Tournament and two NIT appearances. He was twice named MCC Player of the Year, was the 1992 Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award winner (best senior player under six-feet tall) and was the 1992 GTE Academic All-American of the Year. Bennett was the 35th overall selection in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets and played with the team for three seasons.

Bennett and his wife, Laurel, have two children - a daughter, Anna, and a son, Eli.

Tony Bennett Year-by-Year Coaching Record