U.Va. lands its first choice
By Jeff White
Published: April 2, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- As he walked down the University of Virginia's historic Lawn, Tony and Laurel Bennett at his side, Jon Oliver held his breath Friday.

"I was scared to death," Oliver said yesterday at John Paul Jones Arena.

Oliver, U.Va.'s executive associate athletic director, feared someone would recognize the Washington State men's basketball coach. If word got out that Tony Bennett was in Charlottesville, Virginia's search for Dave Leitao's successor might be derailed.

"I needed this to be under the radar screen," Oliver said, "because if you spook a guy like this . . . "

He need not have worried. Bennett and wife slipped into town Thursday and left Friday, unnoticed by the media.

"Actually, it was impressive that nobody got wind of that," Bennett said yesterday at his introductory news conference.

Oliver, who wields tremendous power at U.Va., usually keeps a low public profile. Yesterday, though, he happily talked about the school's new coach.

Bennett "has a plan, and he's able to articulate that, but at the same time, he's the most humble guy I've ever met, and that is so refreshing," Oliver said. "This is a guy that gets his players to play through supporting them, treating them with kindness, helping give them confidence during the game and before the game."

Like Bennett, Oliver came to U.Va. from Washington State. The Bennetts -- father Dick and son Tony -- arrived in Pullman, Wash., after Oliver left, but Oliver continued to watch the Cougars. WSU, which had long ranked among the nation's worst programs, went 69-33 in three seasons under Tony, who succeeded his father as head coach.

"Having worked there, I knew that place was a huge challenge," Oliver said. "That's why I followed them so much, because I was trying to figure out, 'How is this guy doing it?' I have the Fox package on my DirecTV. I would stay up late at night, and I'm thinking, 'How are you doing this at Washington State?'"

U.Va. consulted with Parker Executive Search, Oliver said, but ultimately did not hire the Atlanta-based firm. Bennett, 39, soon became the focus of Virginia's search, Oliver said.

"This was the first choice," Oliver said. "There's no question about it. There were no other offers on the table. Ever."

In Bennett, U.Va. officials saw a young, passionate coach not unlike Brian O'Connor and Brian Boland, who have built the school's baseball and men's tennis teams, respectively, into national powers.

"What [Athletic Director] Craig [Littlepage] and I really talked about was [needing] to get back to our model of how we hire Olympic-sport coaches," Oliver said. "Just because it's a high-profile job, you don't need to leave your principles of how you hire. And that's how we arrived at a guy like this."

 

Cavaliers get their man
"This was the first choice. There's no question about it. There were no other offers on the table." Virginia senior associate athletic director John Oliver I on the Cavaliers' decision to hire Tony BennettNew Virginia coach impresses returning players in meeting
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The last person to be named in connection with the Virginia men's coaching search might have been the first guy all along.

Sixteen days after the Cavaliers parted company with former coach Dave Leitao, 39-year-old Tony Bennett was introduced as his successor.

Senior associate athletic director Jon Oliver, an instrumental figure in the search, said he was "scared to death" that Bennett's involvement might surface in the media.

"This was the first choice," Oliver said. "There's no question about it. There were no other offers on the table. Ever."

Much of the media speculation had centered on Tubby Smith, the head coach at Minnesota who had been a target during the UVa search that resulted in Leitao's hire in 2005.

"Everybody naturally went back to that high-profile name because of all the speculation in the last search, but [Bennett] was on the list early on," Oliver said. "We didn't think we could get him because of what he had done last year."

In the spring of 2008, following a second straight 26-win season at Washington State, Bennett withdrew his name from consideration at Indiana and also was linked with openings at LSU and Marquette.

Yet, when the Virginia job came open March 16, something clicked with Bennett.

"When I heard it was open, I was like, 'Boy, Virginia!' " Bennett said. "It had such a reputation in all the right ways. I got word through a friend of mine that there might be an interest in me.

"Otherwise, I hadn't really thought about it. When that happened, immediately something stirred inside. Once they took the initiative to contact me, I really wanted to listen -- not to anybody else, just Virginia."

The Cavaliers made it worth Bennett's while, offering him a five-year contract valued at $1.7 million per year, not counting bonuses. He was in the early stages of a $1-million-per-year pact through 2015 at Washington State.

In addition, Virginia was willing to pay for a high-powered staff that will include Ritchie McKay, who resigned Wednesday after two seasons as the head coach at Liberty.

"I think they're a great combination," said Oliver, who shares West Coast ties with Bennett and McKay. "This guy [McKay] can recruit and he's relentless."

Bennett said his first priority is to assemble a staff that could include one or two members of his Washington State staff. He also wanted to make sure and contact two players, Tristan Spurlock and Jontel Evans, who had signed with Virginia in November.

Bennett spoke with both players by phone Tuesday and had a home visit scheduled with one of them Wednesday night.

He had met Tuesday with the underclassmen on Virginia's 2008-09 team, which finished 10-19.

"Personally, I liked him a lot," said Sylven Landesberg, the team's leading scorer and the ACC freshman of the year.

"When they chose his name, I just thought it came out of left field. I knew nothing about him. But, now we have a coach and we're happy."

The players all came away from the meeting with a positive mindset.

"I was ecstatic," freshman point guard Sammy Zeglinski said. "I didn't even know he was on the list, but I knew who he was. I knew he was at Washington State. I saw them play. They're always on late at night."

That's a gym rat and a basketball junkie speaking. But, what about the donors and the rank-and-file UVa fans?

"The initial reaction was, 'I'm not sure I know much about him,' " said Dirk Katstra, Virginia's chief athletic fundraiser. "As people have read more and seen more, especially today, I think everybody's saying he's a fit.

"You hear people say, 'You've got to win the press conference.' I'm not sure what that means, but if it means people feeling good about the coach that's in place, I think he did that."

Bennett even wore a necktie, a variation on the suit and open-collared look he sports for games.

"You know this is a coach's son," Littlepage said. "He's coachable."

Said Bennett: "I'm fine wearing it. I wore one as an assistant. And, these [orange and blue] colors look good."

"He tied it himself," Littlepage said.

Bennett referred to the "grounds," UVa's word for its campus, and seems to be a quick study on the ways of the mid-Atlantic. All of his coaching time has been spent in Wisconsin and Washington.

"This is a guy, even if he doesn't have relationships [in Virginia], he's going to work this thing in a way you haven't seen in quite some time," Oliver said.

"This guy is the CEO of this program and he will treat it as such, but, at the same time, he's the most humble guy I've ever met. That is so refreshing."
 

dailypress.com
Hoos seek U-turn II
David Teel
April 2, 2009
CHARLOTTESVILLE

As chairman of the NCAA tournament selection committee in 2006, Craig Littlepage endured shrill, incessant and patently ignorant barbs for the panel's inclusion of several teams from so-called "mid-major" conferences.

When news broke Monday that Littlepage, the University of Virginia's athletic director, had chosen Washington State's Tony Bennett to coach the Cavaliers' basketball team, reaction was much the same.

They hired who? From where? What in the wide, wide world of sports — rent "Blazing Saddles" if that reference baffles — is Littlepage thinking?

Littlepage fervently believes that Bennett will vindicate him as George Mason did.

You remember the 2006 Patriots. Few considered them tournament-worthy, and all they did was author the most improbable Final Four run of modern times, upsetting past champions such as North Carolina, Michigan State and Connecticut.

Littlepage recalled that experience Wednesday as Virginia introduced Bennett to media, donors and athletic department staff.

"I had absolute confidence in what was being done," he said.

So Littlepage thinks Tony Bennett is another George Mason?

"If you want to make that analogy," he said. "I think the guy is a wonderful basketball coach."

Many of Bennett's peers agree. They consider his accomplishments at Washington State — he guided a program reeling from 10 consecutive losing seasons to a pair of NCAA tournaments and an NIT — borderline miraculous.

Given its resources, heritage and location, Virginia doesn't require a miracle.

"Everything is in place here at the University of Virginia," Bennett said. "You can't ask for much more as a head coach. ...

"The best thing you can sell as a new coach is (to) come be a part of a turnaround. The kids at Washington State will be remembered forever and ever."

The Cougars' U-turn from 11-17 in 2006 to 26-8 in Bennett's rookie season earned him national coach-of-the-year honors. His 2008 team made the NCAA's Sweet 16, and his three-year record was 69-33.

"He's proven he's a winner," said U.Va.'s Sylven Landesberg, the ACC's rookie of the year, "and everybody wants to win."

But no leadership change is a sure thing.

Not John Calipari to Kentucky, Mike Tomlin to the Steelers, or Tim Geithner to Treasury.

Why, just four years ago Littlepage sang similar praises of DePaul's Dave Leitao, whom he hired to replace Pete Gillen. Moreover, Leitao came with impeccable references such as Connecticut's Jim Calhoun, his mentor.

"We always feel optimistic, we always feel good when you bring new blood into the program," Littlepage said. "But you're never sure about these things."

Since he never has addressed the issue, I asked Littlepage why he fired Leitao after four years and one losing season.

"I think today should be about Tony Bennett," Littlepage said, vowing to answer the question "at some other time."

Fair enough. So let's make it about Bennett.

Like Leitao in 2005, he hit all the high notes, including a misty-eyed, and undoubtedly genuine, reference to his family. He spoke of academic integrity, faith in God and his 8-year-old daughter angling for a puppy.

He said he will hire staff with regional ties, adjust his deliberate offense to personnel and attempt to replicate the success of respected programs such as Stanford and Michigan State.

He detailed his first airline travel, to Norfolk in 1988 for a national Amateur Athletic Union tournament, where his team got trounced by a Boo Williams squad that included Bryant Stith and Alonzo Mourning.

"Us guys from Wisconsin weren't used to seeing that kind of talent," said Bennett, who played three years in the NBA.

Bennett even used the oh-so-proper "grounds" when referring to Virginia's campus.

"I came here to build a program that lasts," he said.

Such sentiment undoubtedly played well with Littlepage. Minnesota's Tubby Smith would have generated more instant splash, but at 57 he's nearing the back end of his career; Oklahoma's Jeff Capel and Xavier's Sean Miller may be more accomplished, but might their destinations be their respective alma maters, Duke and Pittsburgh?

Bennett, 39, doesn't figure to bolt Virginia for his alma mater, Wisconsin-Green Bay. Indeed, he could bring stability to the program not seen since Terry Holland's 16-year tenure from 1975-90.

Early in the search, Littlepage spoke to a trusted basketball colleague whom he declined to identify. He floated Bennett's name, and the line went silent before the reply.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Littlepage sensed his friend recoiling. Until the kicker.

"If you can get that guy, you have to."

Littlepage did just that in a whirlwind recruitment. He said he wanted a "teacher-coach" in the mold of icons Pete Newell, John McClendon and John Wooden, and believes he found that in Bennett.

"My pick," Littlepage said, "the No. 1 pick."

No mulligans this time. He'd better he right.

 

Bennett takes centerstage
By Whitey Reid
Published: April 2, 2009

Among a bevy of prerequisites, college basketball head coaches have to be good with X’s and O’s and they must understand what style of play best suits their team.
But when you really boil everything down, so much of the position involves the ability to connect with people.
This is a quality that new Virginia coach Tony Bennett displayed in spades during his introductory press conference on Wednesday at John Paul Jones Arena, and a quality that will surely help him in his interactions with recruits, alums and media as he tries to put UVa back on the college basketball map.
“A couple of tangibles jumped out at me right away,” said Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage, discussing his decision to hire Bennett. “Obviously we were going to need a basketball coach with a very high basketball coaching IQ. Equally important was having someone that was going to be able to deliver in a very competitive and ever-changing landscape of college basketball recruiting.”
Wearing a dark suit and a bright orange tie, the 39-year-old had everyone’s attention throughout the
duration of the 63-minute gathering.
“When my wife and I were flying over here, we started talking,” said Bennett, who was flanked by Littlepage and school president John T. Casteen III. “We started talking about how the press conference is kind of like your wedding day. It’s a celebration. There’s a lot of promise. There’s a lot of excitement.
“But what really matters, quite honestly, is the marriage — and that’s the daily investment. That’s the promise over time and that commitment, and I think that’s what it takes to build a program, and I am so excited to do that here at the University of Virginia.”
After a brief pause, Bennett cracked his first joke as UVa coach.
“You’ll have to ask my wife if our marriage is good — hopefully it is,” he said, smiling.
One of the big questions surrounding Bennett’s surprise hiring is how well the former Washington State coach will be able to recruit in this area since he’s spent the last six years on the West Coast.
Before anybody could even ask about his strategy, the former NBA point guard for the Charlotte Hornets unveiled his entire plan.
Bennett said he was trying to bring aboard assistant coaches with in-state recruiting ties.
“I think I may have hit a home run,” Bennett said. “I’ve got a guy I’m pursuing — his name is [Liberty head coach] Ritchie McKay.
“If I can do a good job selling this place, I think we’ll get him.”
A short time later, Bennett had McKay. Liberty issued a statement saying McKay had resigned and was leaving Lynchburg for Charlottesville. (Former Washington State assistant Ron Sanchez will also be joining Bennett’s staff, a source told The Daily Progress.)
Right after Bennett talked about assembling his staff, he discussed the equally important task of keeping incoming recruits Tristan Spurlock and Jontel “Bub” Evans in the fold. He said he planned to meet with both within the next two days.
“They need to meet me,” Bennett said, “and know what I stand for.”
At Washington State, Bennett gained a reputation for going to all ends of the earth to find talent. While the Green Bay, Wis. native will clearly have a larger crop of players to choose from in this region of the country, he doesn’t plan on abandoning any of his past methods.
“I think you just look for the best players,” he said. “We recruited nationally and internationally. You know, Pullman’s not a heavily populated area or a hotbed for basketball and that’s certainly one of the appealing things here — the proximity to talent.
“But there are certainly connections that you use and you’re always looking. I’d be foolish not to keep trying to look at those.”
Family is clearly of the utmost importance to Bennett. At one point during the conference, just after complimenting his wife Laurel’s culinary skills — apparently the Baton Rouge, La. native makes a mean red beans and rice dish — Bennett choked up.
“I love my family more than anything,” Bennett said. “It matters dearly.”
Bennett’s 8-year-old daughter, Anna, and 6-year-old son, Eli, were both in attendance. He said Anna wasn’t as upset as he thought she might be about moving from Washington.
“She said, ‘I’ll be sad dad, but can I get a bigger room?’” Bennett said. “I said, ‘Sure.’”
Then Anna asked for a puppy.
“I said, ‘We’ll talk about that later,” said Bennett, smiling.
“She’s a little negotiator. She knows what’s up.”
Sounds like dad does, too.

 

Bennett seems perfect fit for UVa
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: April 2, 2009

When Virginia athletics director Craig Littlepage began his homework on Tony Bennett, he was amazed by the feedback from every corner of the basketball world.
Littlepage has a network of people from his extensive background as a coach, an administrator, and from his service on the NCAA Tournament committee, which he also chaired. Everyone that Littlepage asked kept telling him he couldn’t do any better.
“I had somebody that I called first [about Bennett], and as we talked, and I mentioned Tony’s name, there was kind of a silence,” Littlepage said. “Then, I was taken aback because the response was ‘You gotta be kidding me.’”
Good news?
The Virginia AD was momentarily speechless because he took that response as a negative reply. However, the pregnant pause turned out to be a false alarm.
“Actually, after [the source] said ‘you gotta be kidding me,’ he said to me, ‘If you can get this guy, it would be exactly what you need.”
The guy Virginia needed showed up for his introduction to Wahoo Nation at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, his family by his side in his new home away from home, John Paul Jones Arena.
Dressed conservatively with All-American good looks (the coeds at Washington State nicknamed him ‘Coach Dreamboat’), it didn’t take long for Bennett to win the crowd, a mix of UVa officials and faculty, members of the Board of Visitors, boosters, media and fans for a lengthy press conference.
Clear charisma
Bennett said all the right things, displayed vision, an openness that has been missing from the program, plenty of charisma and a good sense of humor.
Pointed out that all the photos of him coaching his previous Washington State University teams, showed him without a tie, Bennett was asked about whether he would wear one at Virginia.
His dark suit, adorned by a brilliant orange and blue tie supplied by Trent Thurston of Eljo’s, Bennett quickly deferred to his boss, Littlepage.
“You know this is a coach’s son,” Littlepage quipped. “He’s coachable.”
Bennett said that at Washington State, the AD told him it was OK to coach tieless, but said he’s good with wearing one here.
“These colors look good,” Bennett said, pleasing the crowd.
“He tied it himself,” Littlepage jabbed.
“I did,” Bennett came back. “That’s why it’s messed up.”
Having grown up a coach’s son, as Littlepage aptly pointed out, Tony Bennett also grew up with a basketball in his hands. There was never any doubt
he would become a player, and he did, for his dad, Dick Bennett, at Wisconsin-Green Bay, then on to the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.
During all those years there was no sign that he was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. Quite the contrary.
“Actually, I said that’s the last thing I want to do,” Bennett said. “I watched my dad ride the rollercoaster and I said I have no interest [in coaching]. I thought I would have a long career in the NBA, but injuries cut that short.”
He traveled to New Zealand, playing for a pro league there while attempting to get healthy enough to return to the NBA. Alas, he became reinjured and evolved into a player-coach role with that team.
“When I did that, I was bit,” Bennett said.
“I realized the best thing is playing, but the next-best thing is coaching. I really enjoyed working with young men. It’s such an opportunity to influence them. You’re with them in the great highs and the great lows.”
No doubt the same ones that he referenced in terms of his dad riding the rollercoaster.
Bennett gave insightful and sincere answers to every question tossed his way, covering everything about recruiting, style of play, philosophy, family, his faith.
A West Coast story on Tuesday noted that Dick Bennett had told his son that he was in a 60-58 game scenario, that things could fall either way, but that Tony was in a win-win situation before finally deciding to move east.
What swayed a coach who had shunned more traditional, more high profile, more relevant basketball programs than Virginia (he turned down advances from Indiana, Marquette and LSU in the past)?
“After my wife (Laurel) and I came here and toured the Grounds and were at this facility, we were ready from an impulsive standpoint,” Bennett said. “This is it. We were so certain. We went back and just waited.”
While back in Pullman, Wash., an isolated part of the state, the Bennetts thought about the difficult part that such a move would present. They thought about telling the Cougars’ team goodbye, the kids they recruited. They thought about telling the people at Washington State, the folks that had given them their first chance, farewell.
“That was the hardest part,” he confessed. “As we stripped everything away from the process, we really felt right in this direction. There really was a peace of mind.”
Bennett said he wouldn’t leave Washington State for just anywhere and he had proven that. Littlepage and Oliver knew that if Bennett could recruit and win at Washington State, he could recruit and win anywhere.
Oliver, who once worked at WSU, knew that better than most.
Once Virginia made the offer, Bennett was on board so quickly that he didn’t even have time to reach his father.
Dick Bennett found out after a round of golf.
“He said he was with 15 of his buddies and he was sitting at the [golf club’s] bar when the news came across ESPN and he let out a big yell,” Tony Bennett said. “He said, ‘you cost me a round of 15 guy’s drinks.’ But he was so excited, that the opportunity is there.”
Tony Bennett was just as excited on Wednesday when he compared all the hoopla to a marriage.
Certainly he will get a lengthy honeymoon with the Virginia crowd. They have been thirsting for a consistent winner after having enjoyed only two NCAA appearances 12 years. Bennett reached the NCAAs twice in three years as WSU’s coach in his first head coaching experience.
Yesterday was fun and games, meet and greets. Today and from that point forward, the expectations will begin to mount.
Littlepage couldn’t answer questions about when he expects the program to return to the NCAAs, nor could its new coach. Bennett said he wants to build something that lasts and thusly it will require three or four years to collect the kind of players that best fit his system — a more deliberate offense and a smothering defense.
That’s what Pete Gillen and Dave Leitao must have thought as well.
Time will tell if Tony Bennett’s basketball philosophy is a better fit for Virginia.
Wahoo Nation has its collective fingers crossed.

 

Now is the time for relevance to return
By Aaron McFarling

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Every other year. That's not too much to ask, is it? The Virginia men's basketball program and its new coach need a tangible goal, a baseline for success, and this should be it: At least once every two years, you're in the NCAA tournament.

If that sounds unambitious, consider where the Cavaliers are. During the past 12 seasons, they've made the tournament just twice. They're nationally irrelevant. Sure, this coaching change is big news around here -- and the $1.7 million annual compensation for Tony Bennett is serious money -- but the job search never caused so much as a ripple on ESPN. When did the UVa job become akin to one at Duquesne?

Too long ago, that's when. When the team stopped being competitive on an annual basis.

Bennett was introduced here Wednesday as the man charged with changing that. It's hard not to be impressed with Bennett, the man. He's friendly. He's funny. He's humble. He's, well -- how to put this? -- the kind of guy your teenage daughter would like.

Other coaches seem to like him, too, which is a good thing.

He's not the "home run" hire we always heard UVa needed, the soaring, no-doubter into the bleachers -- the Tubby Smith, the Jeff Capel, the Rick Barnes. Not yet, anyway. Rather, he's Craig Littlepage's rocket shot heading into the gap, where if he hits the angled walls just right, maybe the athletic director will leg out a four-bagger on his own.

The immediate skepticism Littlepage received when news of the Bennett hire broke Monday reminded him of the scrutiny he faced in 2006, when he was the chairman of the NCAA selection committee. CBS announcers Jim Nantz and Billy Packer blasted him on the air for many of the committee's choices of small-conference teams over those from bigger leagues.

Littlepage was vindicated when those small teams performed well in the bracket -- particularly after much-maligned choice George Mason stormed into the Final Four.

"So," Littlepage was asked Wednesday, "Is Tony Bennett your George Mason?"

"If you want to make that analogy," Littlepage said.

It's a pretty good one. And maybe Bennett will be. Lord knows Washington State was a mess before he took over three years ago. At the very least, the 39-year-old Bennett has charisma and energy, two good starting points for a struggling team. He easily charmed a room eager for hope Wednesday.

Still, neither Bennett nor Littlepage could say just how long this whole rebuilding thing would take. It depends, they said. The pieces have to get into place, they said. It's impossible to set definitive pass-fail requirements this early in the process, they argued.

So let's help them out here: Every other year. That's it. Clock starts now. That means if the team gets an energy bump from the new hire and overachieves next season, Bennett will get a break in the 2010-11 campaign if that subsides a little. And if the team is just too broken, too run down after the Dave Leitao era, he'll get a mulligan and a year to recruit.

That's reasonable if you look around this place. The arena is gorgeous. Shoot, the PRACTICE arena is gorgeous. Money is everywhere. During Monday's press conference, Pro Football Hall of Famer Howie Long stood in the back and watched. Howie Long! You're not getting that at Duquesne.

But you do get expectations. And the expectations here should be to finish at least in the top half of the ACC. Most years, that'll get you into the NCAAs -- and back on the college basketball map, where UVa belongs.
 

Bennett begins task after day of praise
By Norm Wood | 247-4642
April 2, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - With a crisp new orange, blue and white tie draped around his neck, Tony Bennett looked every bit the part of ambitious young savior for the University of Virginia men's basketball program.

Now, the hard part begins.

Bennett was formally introduced Wednesday by U.Va. president John Casteen and athletic director Craig Littlepage to a room full of media, boosters and fans in a cafeteria on the suite level of John Paul Jones Arena. Bennett, 39, established goals as he tries to rebuild a team that went 10-18 overall this season under former coach Dave Leitao, including 4-12 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

"I came here to build a great team, but more importantly, I came here to build a program that lasts," said Bennett, who arrives after coaching for the last six seasons at Washington State, including the last three seasons as head coach.

Despite rumors U.Va. was actively pursuing more recognizable coaching names like Minnesota's Tubby Smith and Oklahoma's Jeff Capel, Littlepage referred to Bennett as "my pick, the No. 1 pick and the future of Virginia basketball."

"I had absolute confidence in what was being done," Littlepage said. "When I went out and asked people that I know that know basketball and are respected in the basketball community, and every single one of those people said words to the effect, 'My gosh, if you can get that guy, you've got to get him,' there was no concern on my part."

At Washington State, Bennett compiled a 69-33 record. He led the Cougars to NCAA tournament bids in his first two seasons and a National Invitation Tournament bid this season.

"It's kind of like your wedding day," Bennett said regarding the press conference. "It's a celebration. There's a lot of promise, a lot of excitement, but what really matters quite honestly is the marriage. That's the daily investment. It's the promise over time."

During the press conference, Bennett said he was pursuing Liberty coach Ritchie McKay to join U.Va.'s assistant coaching staff. On Wednesday afternoon, McKay resigned from Liberty, but U.Va. didn't release any statements announcing him as a new assistant. Bennett also said he may bring one of his former Washington State assistant coaches with him to U.Va. It's believed the assistant coach could be Ron Sanchez.

Bennett said he met Tuesday with his new team. Guard Sylven Landesberg said he and his teammates knew nothing about Bennett before Monday, but Landesberg added that Tuesday's meet-and-greet went well.

"Personally, I liked him a lot," said Landesberg, who averaged 16.6 points per game this season and was named the ACC rookie of the year. "I think everybody felt the same way. He came off as a real nice, polite person. As a coach, he's very respectable, so I think there will be great chemistry."

Bennett is the son of retired coach Dick Bennett. Tony played for his father at Wisconsin-Green Bay and was on his father's coaching staffs at Wisconsin and Washington State before taking over the Cougars.

In all three seasons of Tony's tenure as Washington State's coach, the Cougars were 17th or better nationally, including first this season, in scoring defense. Meanwhile, Washington State never rose above 208th nationally in scoring offense in those three seasons.

"I think Tony is more creative offensively than I ever was, but I don't think people have trouble classifying his style as boring at all, because it's really not," Dick said.

Tony said he plans to visit U.Va. signees Tristan Spurlock, a 6-foot-7 forward from Springfield, and Jontel Evans, a 5-11 guard from Bethel High, in the coming days. Evans said Monday that he hopes to play an up-tempo offensive style at U.Va. Tony, who leaned more toward a screen-heavy, calculated, half-court offensive approach at Washington State, indicated he'd be willing to tailor his philosophy if necessary.

"First of all, they have to honor their commitment, but that's why I want to look at our team," said Bennett, who was accompanied by his wife, Laurel, and kids, Anna and Eli, at the press conference. "I think sometimes in the past our style has been considered real slow-down. … There will be opportunities to get out and go, as long as you're solid and you're tough. I think I'll just be real with them. There's no sense in saying 'this' is what we are exactly. I don't have a clear picture of how we're going to play on the offensive end."

 

In Bennett, U.Va. puts a good face on a bad situation
Posted to: Bob Molinaro Sports
Bob Molinaro
Virginian-Pilot columnist
Read Articles
The Virginian-Pilot
© April 2, 2009
CHARLOTTESVILLE

First reaction to Virginia's new hire?

At 39, Tony Bennett is the ACC's most photogenic basketball coach, women's coaches included.

Excuse me for noticing his great hair and charming smile, but for the time being, outward appearances are about all we've got to go on.

That, and a belief - the 'Hoos can dream, can't they? - that the law of averages will favor U.Va. hoops.

Bennett's official introduction to the Virginia media Wednesday wasn't much different from the one held for Dave Leitao four years ago.

The new coach has arrived to straighten out a program that has gone off the rails. He believes in discipline and in recruiting players with character. It will, you understand, take some time.

Coaches change, but the script remains the same.

What wasn't by the book was the decision to seek a savior from faraway Washington State - from out of left field, so to speak. It's a puzzling choice, but if U.Va. fans really want to worry, they'll just remember that this hire was made by the same man - athletic director Craig Littlepage - who thought he saw a big winner in Leitao.

Bennett sought to put the doubters at ease, opening his news conference by saying, "I came here to build a great team, but more importantly, I came here to build a program that lasts."

Leitao harbored similar intentions; Pete Gillen did too, when he wasn't hiding behind punch lines.

The price of doing business has gone up since then, though, and in signing Bennett, U.Va. has eagerly raised the ante on hope.

Apparently, Littlepage and university president John T. Casteen III believe their school can spend its way out basketball irrelevance.

By making a young, promising prospect from a frontier school the fourth-highest-paid coach in the ACC, U.Va. is flashing its champagne tastes in a newly turned Pabst Blue Ribbon world.

After it has finished paying off Leitao, absorbing the buyout on Bennett's Washington State contract, and paying its new coach $1.7 million a year - in addition to a $500,000 signing bonus, plus the promise of a $500,000 incentive bonus after five years - over the next half-decade, U.Va. is on the hook for about $12 million.

That kind of spending would make Redskins owner Dan Snyder blush.

And yet, even at an inflated price - even with U.Va. doling out cash in a desperate attempt to erase its earlier hiring mistakes - Bennett just might be the answer.

So what if Bennett has no East Coast ties? Leitao had plenty, and it did him little good, while Gillen failed despite being a colorful sidewalks of New York guy.

And the very thing that made Bennett's Washington State teams so unpalatable to people who enjoy attractive basketball - a grinding, deliberate offense - might help U.Va. compensate for its talent deficiencies.

"In the past," Bennett said, owning up to his preference for ugly ball, "our style has been considered real slowdown."

Later, he characterized his style as "trying to outlast your opponent."

Are the fat cats in the expensive seats at John Paul Jones Arena ready for a series of 50-point games?

"It's about winning, too," Bennett said.

At first, it's about U.Va. regaining its footing, and contributing to the balance of the ACC.

That is not an unreasonable expectation, no matter the impression left by Leitao's last team.

From the perspective of suffering fans, the ACC must appear to present daunting challenges. But a different perspective was created by the NCAA tournament, where one ACC team after another fell and underachieved.

There's room for U.Va. to inch its way up - and relatively soon - in a conference that to some extent is living off its press clippings and Dick Vitale sound bites.

Bennett just might be the guy to get it done.

In the meantime, he really does have a good-looking head of hair.

 

U.Va.‘s Littlepage needs things to work out with his new hire
By Paul Woody
Published: April 2, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE The new coach is in the spotlight, but the athletic director is the man on the hot seat.

At least, Craig Littlepage's seat is getting quite warm.

Littlepage is the athletic director at the University of Virginia, and he was the main man in hiring Tony Bennett as the Cavaliers' men's basketball coach.

Littlepage needs this hire to work as quickly as possible.

Things have not gone so great for the Cavaliers since September. The football team had a losing season, which kept it out of a bowl game. And if you play Division I football and can't get to a bowl game, your program has a problem.

Each home game also featured thousands of empty seats.

The men's basketball team finished 10-18, the program's worst winning percentage since 1966-67 when the Cavaliers were 9-17.

And each home game in the sparkling JPJ Arena featured thousands of empty seats.

Littlepage has hired some excellent coaches and seen success in a number of areas at Virginia -- baseball, cross country, men's tennis, women's golf.

That's nice. It really is nice. Those coaches work hard to have outstanding programs. They help young people improve, excel and graduate. The coaches and athletes are a wonderful reflection of the university.

For Littlepage's future, that doesn't really matter. The football and basketball programs are the faces of any major university's athletic program.

If those sports are rolling and the non-revenue sports are struggling, someone might make note of it. No one would suggest Littlepage needed to get the women's golf program turned around if he wants to keep his job.

But plenty of U.Va. faithful would suggest that the success of the football and basketball programs has much to do with Littlepage's future

Littlepage did not hire Al Groh, the Virginia football coach, but Littlepage is responsible for the success of the program.

Littlepage did hire Dave Leitao, the former men's basketball coach. Four seasons after Leitao arrived, he was given a $2.1 million buyout. That is on Littlepage.

On the day Leitao was introduced, there was great fanfare and optimism.

"Appropriately so," Littlepage said. " . . . We always feel good when we're bringing new ideas and new blood into a program."

When Bennett was introduced yesterday, the sense of hope in the room was palpable. Everyone in an orange tie exuded confidence that this is the guy who is going to return the Cavaliers to their days of basketball glory.

Littlepage is certain of it. He has to be.

Littlepage knows his fate is related to the success of his football and basketball coaches. That is not something he's going to admit on the day he hires his second basketball coach in four years.

"The key thing to me is getting the right coach because of everything this program means to me, not because of my own circumstances or anything along those lines," Littlepage said. "It is strictly about wanting the very best for this department, the very best for this basketball program."

Littlepage is a former assistant coach for the Cavaliers basketball team. He was on the bench next to coach Terry Holland when Virginia went to its first Final Four. Littlepage helped recruit the players who took Virginia to a second Final Four.

In those days, the Cavaliers were known as a smart, tough, well-coached group of players who did not beat themselves.

The prevailing school of thought is that Virginia never is going to out-recruit, or even recruit on a par with, North Carolina and Duke, the marquee programs in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Instead, the Cavaliers need smart, tough, well-coached players in order to compete with the Tar Heels and Blue Devils.

"I think it's something that could be re-established," Littlepage said. "It's not enough to have a great school and great conference and great building.

"It's having a plan and a program and getting everybody moving in the same direction. I've been very, very impressed with way Tony has been able to establish that sort of plan and execute it at Washington State."

If Bennett does that here, he will be hailed as the next Mike Krzyzewski, Dean Smith and Holland rolled into one.

And Littlepage will feel a little less warmth when he takes a seat.

 

Virginia welcomes new basketball coach Bennett
Former Washington State coach set to replace Leitao at helm of program; Littlepage, Casteen praise character
Ernie Washington, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Thursday, April 2 2009

Tony Bennett was announced as the new men’s basketball coach at yesterday’s press conference in John Paul Jones Arena. Tony Bennett officially is the man in the charge of the Virginia men’s basketball team.

The hiring of Bennett to replace former coach Dave Leitao — who resigned two weeks ago — may have surprised many Cavalier fans, but Athletic Director Craig Littlepage said he is thrilled to have Bennett as Virginia’s new head coach.

At yesterday’s press conference formally announcing Bennett’s hiring, Littlepage recalled a conversation he had with someone familiar with West Coast and Pac-10 basketball and the response he received when Bennett’s name was broached as a potential candidate.

“I mentioned Tony’s name, and there was kind of a silence,” Little page said. “I was taken aback, because the response was, ‘You have to be kidding me.’ I took that to be a bad thing. [Instead,] he actually says, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. If you can get this guy, it would be exactly what you need.’”

Bennett also possesses all of the characteristics University President John Casteen, III expects of Virginia coaches.

“[Bennett] embodies the personal qualities,” Casteen said. “The sense of the importance of the athlete as a human being, the importance of building a winning program, the importance of meeting the academic demands and delivering the lifelong credentials that we intend to give to our students. He embodies the value of Virginia athletics.”

Bennett comes to Virginia from Washington State, where he served as an assistant for four years with his father, Dick, before becoming the program’s head coach for the last three years. His first two seasons as head coach were among the most successful in Cougar history. In Bennett’s first year at the helm, Washington State went 26-8, finishing second in the Pac-10 and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Bennett’s impressive freshman year earned him AP National Coach of the Year honors. The Cougars experienced even more success during the following season, going 26-9 and advancing to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. Although Washington State finished 17-16 this past season, it did so while playing a significant number of underclassmen.

Bennett made it clear yesterday that he cannot wait to get things underway in Charlottesville.

“Everything is in place here at the University of Virginia,” Bennett said. “I can’t wait to get recruits here. I can’t wait to get them here and show them what this is about. You can’t ask for much more as a head coach to have a place like this.”

One concern among Cavalier fans about Bennett’s hiring is his reputation for playing a deliberate and “boring” style of offense. Bennett, however, said the team will have opportunities to push the ball up the court and hang with teams like North Carolina and Duke, who play an up-tempo game.

“I think that sometimes in the past our style has been considered real slow, but there will be opportunities to run,” Bennett said. “There will be opportunities to get out and go, as long as you are sound and tough.”

Members of the current Virginia basketball team did not express concern about Bennett’s offensive style, either.

“He told us that he would adjust [his offense] to his personnel,” freshman guard Sylven Landesberg said. “Hopefully when he comes in, starts seeing us play and practice more he’ll see that we can get up and down [the court].”

Defense, however, most likely will remain a central focus. Bennett’s teams in Pullman were among the best in the nation in defensive efficiency, which should be welcome news to Cavalier fans, as Virginia finished last in the ACC this year in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense.

“When I watch the NBA playoffs, the Final Four, other sports, you always see great defense as the stuff that carries you, so that has to be your calling card,” Bennett said. “It’s simplicity with execution, but kids have to buy in, and you have to hold them accountable to play the way that we want to play defensively.”

Jon Oliver, Virginia’s executive associate athletic director, played a major part in the hiring of Bennett. Oliver has connections with Washington State, serving six years in various aspects of the athletic department. He wanted to make the coaching search as secret as possible.

“My goal here was to make sure not to get on [the media’s] radar screen,” Oliver said. “I think I accomplished that.”

Bennett also emphasized that he aims to get the fans in John Paul Jones Arena excited, and he plans to reach out to the students to help make that happen.

“You have to get this to be a home court advantage in a league like [the ACC],” Bennett said.

Looking to prepare for next season, Bennett already has started constructing his supporting staff. Liberty coach Ritchie McKay announced yesterday he will assist Bennett in Charlottesville.

Bennett knows what his assistants must do to be successful.

“They’ve got to be able to recruit, have ties in this talent rich state, have to be able to coach,” Bennett said. “They have to be able to really develop [players] and make sure that it’s a student-athlete experience that they will never forget.”

Now that Virginia has a coach in place, Bennett will next attempt to convince two high school seniors — point guard Jontel Evans and small forward Tristan Spurlock — to honor their letters of intent and remain Charlottesville bound.

“They need to meet me and know what I stand for,” Bennett said. “That’s significant.”

Bennett said he has a plan to turn Virginia basketball around — a plan based on his own marriage.

“When my wife and I were flying over here, we started talking about how the press conference is like your wedding day,” Bennett said. “It’s a celebration, there’s a lot of promise, a lot of excitement. But what really matters, quite honestly, is the marriage. That’s the daily investment, the promise over time, and that commitment. I think that is what it takes to build a program, and I am so excited to do that here at the University of Virginia. You have to ask my wife if our marriage is good, so hopefully it is.”

 

First impressions
Paul Montana
Published: Thursday, April 2 2009

My first encounter with Tony Bennett was not a pleasant one, but I won’t hold it against him.

At a news conference held for the newly appointed men’s basketball coach, the floor was opened to questions from attending media. Feeling bold, I waved my hand and was recognized.

So, with athletic director Craig Littlepage sitting on one side and with President John Casteen III on the other, with Al Groh, Howie Long and Debbie Ryan among the hundred or so people in attendance, with still more media calling in via conference call, and with live streaming video on virginiasports.com to the general public, I introduced myself as the reporter from the student paper. Then, I asked the following question.

“In what you’ve seen of Virginia and meeting with the team,” I said, “Do you get a sense of what maybe went wrong the last couple of years and what needs to change?”

The first line of Bennett’s response: “No. That wouldn’t be appropriate to comment on.”

Oh boy.

“Sometimes when you don’t have success, the coaching staff works extra hard,” Bennett continued. “But [they had] a tremendous year three years ago to share for an ACC title. But I couldn’t say that. Hopefully there’s some valuable experience that’s been gained in the last couple of years.”

And so begins my relationship with the new coach. I am now the student reporter who was snide enough to throw a hardball at what was, for all intents and purposes, the new coach’s welcoming party to Charlottesville; Bennett even said the press conference was “like a wedding day.”

To be fair, that was not my intent. I simply was trying to ask the question that every fan wants to know the answer to: What is your plan for turning this program around?

Instead, he took it as, how do you plan on cleaning up the mess left that Dave Leitao left? And, after thanking Leitao and his staff for “all their hard work,” as he put it, that was not a question he was interested in answering. Fair enough.

But enough about my personal experience. There were many other questions — none of them from me, mind you — to which either the new coach or Littlepage had an answer at the ready. Here are some of the more revealing tidbits that I picked up.

1. “The No. 1 pick”

Before Bennett took the floor, both Casteen and Littlepage made opening remarks. Most of it was the expected exchange of niceties; Casteen and Littlepage played up the coach as the right man for the job, talked about how they wanted a guy who understood the true concept of the student-athlete and the teacher-coach, and how Bennett was that guy.

Then, as Littlepage wrapped up by introducing Bennett, he said the following:

“I’d like to introduce my pick — the No. 1 pick — and the future of Virginia basketball, the 2007 National Associated Press Coach of the Year, Mr. Tony Bennett.”

The No. 1 pick. Does that really mean what we think it means? Did Littlepage look at Tubby Smith — who was thought to be a prime candidate nearly from the moment Leitao resigned — and say, nah, let’s go with the 39-year-old from Washington State?

The way he spoke about the process of searching for a new coach, it sure seems likely.

“An extensive list of candidates — coaches — was created,” Littlepage said. “That list ranged from coaches who are household names, coaches who have won championships — both conference championships and national championships — and it also included coaches who were somewhat lesser-known but are outstanding coaches nonetheless.”

Littlepage went on to say that he spoke with current and former coaches, administrators, people familiar with the University, the state, the ACC and with college basketball in general. And through that research and based on the attributes he was looking for, he landed on Bennett.

As if Bennett didn’t have enough pressure in trying to turn around a struggling team in arguably the toughest conference in America, now he has to prove that he can do it better than Tubby.

2. Flexibility

Much has been made on Bennett’s coaching style in the past — namely, his offense. At both Washington State and Wisconsin, where he was either a head coach or an assistant beneath his father, Dick Bennett, his teams played reputably slower, deliberate offensive styles. In three years as the head coach of Washington State, Tony Bennett’s teams scored less than 67 points per game each season, including 59.2 per game last year.

Now, Bennett heads to the high-octane ACC, where no team averaged less than 68 points per game last year and where the top four teams in the conference averaged more than 77.

Clearly, Bennett needs to be flexible, and he quickly dispelled rumors that he is set in his ways or even that his offense is as deliberate as it’s made out to be.

“I think sometimes in the past, our style’s been considered real slow-down — there will be opportunities to run,” Bennett said. “There will be opportunities to get out and go, as long as you’re sound or you’re tough.”

Then, Littlepage — the former men’s basketball coach at both Pennsylvania and Rutgers — jumped in to defend his new coach’s style.
“When you play defense the way that coach Bennett’s teams play defense, you’re forcing your opponent to take longer to take shots,” Littlepage said. “It’s not always that the person that plays the strong defense is playing a more deliberate style of play. Your play on defense forces the other team’s offense to take longer than it normally does to get shots off.”

And it is defense, Bennett said, that has to be addressed first. He wants a team that plays with passion and toughness.

Of course, that’s what we all heard when Leitao — also an up-and-coming coach at the time — was hired four years ago.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t work this time. And as for his offense ... We’ll see, and so will Bennett.

“I don’t have a clear picture of how we’re [going to] play on the offensive end,” Bennett said.

3. Tristan and Jontel

The biggest question for next year is whether Virginia’s 2009 recruiting class, Tristan Spurlock and Jontel Evans, will remain on board with Bennett at the helm. In particular doubt is Spurlock — The Daily Progress reported March 16 that it was a “virtual certainty” that Spurlock would decommit, noting that Leitao and his former head assistant, Bill Courtney, were the primary reasons Spurlock had committed to Virginia in the first place.

Since then, little has come of what Spurlock will do; the only solace that Cavalier fans could take is that Landesberg told reporters that he would do his very best to get Spurlock and Evans to honor their commitments.

Now, what will the new head coach do? One thing he by now has already done — he said yesterday that he would be visiting one of the recruits that night, though he didn’t specify who. The other, he said, he would visit “later.”

“First of all, they have to honor their commitment,” Bennett said. “I’ll just be real with them ... My deal is to try and be competitive and win.”

To be competitive and win, keeping both players — particularly Spurlock — certainly is a top priority.

3. “Three or four years”

Although Wahoos may hope for an immediate turnaround, Bennett wasn’t making any promises. He noted that both he and Littlepage understand that it takes some time to build a program. “It’s going to take three or four years to get your system, to get your players,” Bennett said, “then the expectations are there to really compete at a high level.”

Fans may point out, but what about Washington State? In his first year with the Cougars in 2006-07, Bennett led his team to the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament; in his second year, they went to the Sweet Sixteen. Each year, the Cougars won a school-record 26 wins.

But what fans must remember is that Bennett inherited the program from his father, running what was at the very least a very similar system. He didn’t have to come across the East Coast, to a conference with an entirely different character, to a team that he had never met. The change at Washington State wasn’t just in-house, but in the family.

“The guy before me was a good coach,” Bennett said with a smile. “It was challenging, but I think what we had was kids that had been through the system and were upperclassmen when I took over.”

On the other hand, last season, during which Washington State went 17-16, is equally impressive. Loaded with a roster of nine freshman, the Cougars went 8-10 in the Pac-10, including a sweep of a home-and-home with Arizona State and a win at UCLA late in the season. Not too shabby.

The final evaluation? Overall, a first impression of a classy, excited coach with the willingness to adapt. Perhaps he should not have specified that it could take “three or four years” to turn the program around — Leitao, after all, left after just four.

From reading various articles that cite numerous experts, however, Bennett seems to have a bright future; he has even been called a “young Coach K.” And as much as people hate on Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski in this neck of the woods, a Coach K in Charlottesville doesn’t sound too bad.

 

Official release from Liberty University
Jeff White
Apr 01, 2009

McKay Steps Down From Head Coaching Position

April 1, 2009

LYNCHBURG—Liberty University Head Men’s Basketball Coach Ritchie McKay has announced that he is stepping down from his position, effective immediately.

McKay was named the seventh head men’s basketball coach in program history on March 26, 2007, and since has guided the program to a 39-28 combined record and a 19-13 mark in Big South Conference play.

”While this decision was a surprise to us all, I have great respect for Ritchie McKay and wish his family the very best as they open another chapter in their lives,” stated Liberty’s Director of Athletics Jeff Barber.

“I believe I speak for the entire Liberty family when I offer my appreciation to Coach McKay for the solid foundation he brought to our program. I know that he loves Liberty University and always will.”

Liberty finished McKay’s first season with the program in fourth place of the Big South with a 7-7 mark, followed by a third-place regular-season ranking this past year with a 12-6 record. The Flames advanced to the semifinals of the Big South Basketball Championship both years under McKay’s tenure.

“With the support of Chancellor Falwell, we will use Coach McKay’s time here at Liberty as another building block, just as we have done with our former coaches, to develop a Division I men’s basketball program that will compete at the highest level,” said Barber.

During his last season as the program’s head coach, McKay guided the Flames to 23-12 overall record, which marked the fifth 20-win season in program history and the first since 1997. Liberty participated in the inaugural CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, opening the event with a 79-64 victory over Rider.

Barber has asked current assistant head coach Brad Soucie to remain with the program as interim head coach, as well as assistant coaches Jason Eaker and Kyle Getter to stay on staff, at this time. A national search for a new head men’s basketball coach will begin immediately.

Quote from Ritchie McKay:
Today I am announcing that I will not return as head coach next season. I realize that the decision I’ve made will have a certain perception attached to it, as well as a certain level of confusion. I hope that what I share here will help everyone to understand that this decision was made through much thought and prayer.

Let me start off by saying that I have decided to accept a position at Virginia, as assistant to the head coach. I will have the opportunity to work with a dear friend of mine, Tony Bennett, whose dad mentored me in the profession and whose relationship I’ve enjoyed for the last decade.

Having served as a head coach for the last 13 years, I have to say that I have never enjoyed my coaching experience more than at Liberty University. It has tremendous leadership, authenticity and perspective that make being a part of this University a blessing.

I am leaving because my wife and I feel that we are supposed to start a new chapter in my professional career - one that does not involve me being a head coach at this time. Not many people voluntarily leave a head coaching position to become an assistant. It speaks to my relationship with Coach Bennett and the opportunity that I have in assisting him to build a great program.

It is not an indictment against the athletics program or its leadership. As a matter of fact, Jeff Barber is one of the best athletics directors and people I have ever been around. His entire staff is equally as endearing.

Regardless of who the next coach may be at Liberty University, I know that he will walk into a situation with tremendous student-athletes who have outstanding moral fiber, on a campus with great students and faculty whose character is nothing short of inspiring. He will undoubtedly inherit a program that has a chance to compete for conference championships in its future.

I want to thank Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr., and everyone involved with Liberty’s family for blessing my family and I. We wish this program nothing but the best in the future.

 

Mckay;s departure stuns LU
By Chris Lang
Sports writer
Published: April 1, 2009

As late as Tuesday evening, Liberty athletics director Jeff Barber had no inkling Ritchie McKay was about to leave his post as head men’s basketball coach after two years.

Barber was aware of the longtime friendship between McKay and new Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett. McKay broached the subject of possibly joining Bennett’s staff with Barber on Sunday, before Bennett, then Washington State’s coach, had even agreed to go to UVa.

Tuesday afternoon, Virginia athletics director Craig Littlepage contacted Barber, asking for permission to speak with McKay. In the evening, Barber and McKay dined together. At the end of the meal, Barber asked McKay what he thought about joining Bennett in Charlottesville.

“At the time, I still felt like he was going to be our coach,” Barber said.

Which was why Barber felt such a sense of shock Wednesday morning when McKay informed Barber that he would be leaving to become the associate head coach on Bennett’s staff.

McKay told his assistant coaches and Liberty’s players of the move as well. All parties involved used the same word in regards to McKay’s announcement: Shock.

“You don’t know why people make the decisions that they do, but you just trust them,” Barber said. “Coach McKay is a great guy, a great man. He feels like he was doing what was best for his family. I can’t question that.”

Barber met with Liberty’s players in the Flames’ team room Wednesday afternoon. Afterward, the players took a vote and chose not to speak publicly about McKay’s departure.

Lead assistant Brad Soucie, who was named the team’s interim head coach Wednesday, described the players’ reaction to the news.

“(McKay) has had a lot of passion for this job and for our players, with the way he’s mentored and led them,” Soucie said. “So there’s a lot of disappointment and frustration.”

Soucie, who has been with McKay at each of his head coaching stops, said he plans to apply for the open post at Liberty.

McKay said Soucie would be a great candidate for the position.

“Brad would be a

tremendous hire for the men’s basketball program,” McKay said. “He’s be an excellent coach. He helped us to get where we are. It’s just a matter of moving over eight inches to another chair and being the guy who’s calling the plays.”

Liberty was McKay’s fifth head coaching job, and at four of his stops, he stayed no longer than two years.

New Mexico was the only exception, and he was fired there midway through his fifth season.

In a phone conversation Wednesday night, McKay admitted he had a “tough time” all day explaining to people why he made his decision, adding “I love Liberty and everything it’s about.”

McKay didn’t seek out any job offers in the days after the season ended, and he had planned on returning for his third season until Bennett called. He called Tony’s father, Dick, the former Washington State and Wisconsin coach, a “basketball and life mentor.” After hearing an offer from Tony Bennett Tuesday night, McKay slept on it, but was up at 5 a.m. Wednesday, still conflicted. In the end, he chose to join Bennett in Charlottesville.

“I understand people will question it, and I understand people will be disappointed,” McKay said. “I’m ready to do something else. I don’t need to be the man. I don’t need to be the face of the program.”

Under McKay, Liberty won 39 games in two seasons, including a school Division I record tying 23 this year. The Flames advanced to the Big South tournament semifinals both years and earned a berth in the inaugural CollegeInsider.com Tournament this year, losing in the quarterfinals to James Madison.

McKay’s announcement resonated some 2,000-plus miles away in Arizona, as well. Bo Barnes, a guard from Scottsdale Christian Academy outside Phoenix, gave Liberty a verbal commitment in March.

“It took us all by surprise,” said Bob Fredericks, Barnes’ high school coach.

Fredericks said he didn’t want to speak for Barnes, but said Barnes told him his family would have to “think it through” in regards to the verbal. The first day of the spring signing period is April 15.

McKay had also secured verbals from Ovie Soko — of Hampton’s Bethel High School — and Chris Perez, of Oldsmar Christian in Florida.

Joel Vander Pol signed a national letter of intent in November to join Liberty’s program.

McKay’s departure is another blow for a Liberty program already reeling from the loss of leading scorer Seth Curry, who eight days ago announced his intentions to transfer. Sunday, Curry said he was transferring to Duke.

Barber acknowledged that the moves — which happened so close together — would lead to questions about what is going on within the Liberty program.

“Am I concerned about the perception?” Barber said. “Yes, I am. Is it justified? I don’t believe it is. I just left the team, and they feel very positive about the future.

“Seth, well, he did transfer to Duke. Then Ritchie is leaving too, on the heels of that. So it does look like there is a reason outside of what we all see. I don’t believe there is. It’s just separate type of circumstances that happened at the same time.

“But I believe that this program is healthier than it has ever been. I believe the right coach will come forth and we’ll just take it to a whole ‘nother level.”

Barber leaves today for Detroit, where he’ll attend the Final Four, a gathering ground for coaches and administrators all over Division I basketball. In the meantime, Soucie and assistant coaches Jason Eaker and Kyle Getter will continue to work with the players still on campus.

Barber didn’t offer a concrete timeline on hiring a new coach.

Said Barber: “I know there’s going to be great interest because of the quality of the program Ritchie has left behind. I think we’ll see a higher quality of coaches than we’ve ever seen before, simply because of the job that Ritchie and his staff have done of building and getting it to this level.”

 

April 1, 2009
Bennett's life lessons
A quick story, my favorite, from Virginia's news conference today introducing Tony Bennett as the school's basketball coach.

Bennett played for and worked as an assitant under his father, Dick Bennett. He said the best coaching lesson he learned from his dad was what to do when he went too far in criticizing a player.

Either in front of the team, or one-on-one, don't be afraid to say, "Forgive me. I'm sorry. I made a mistake."

Take it for what it's worth. But I found it refreshing and encouraging.

Posted by David Teel on April 1, 2009 5:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
Bennett staff update
Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett confirmed at his just-completed introductory news conference that he hopes to hire Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay as an assistant.

In fact, Liberty's Web site reports that McKay has resigned effective immediately.

As for the rampant Internet speculation that Bennett will hire an assistant connected with Boo Williams' Hampton summer program, not so fast. Bennett said he will bring at least "one or two" members of his Washington State staff to U.Va. -- Ron Sanchez is almost certain to head East.

Whether or not Bennett reaches out to Hampton Roads and/or Williams, sources I spoke with here in Charlottesville do not expect him to hire Bethel High assistant Ed Huckaby. A former assistant at Wright State and Hampton University, Huckaby had been floated to Virginia officials.


Posted by David Teel on April 1, 2009 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
Bennett's staff
New Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett faces media reptiles at a 1 o'clock presser this afternoon, and he's already working rapidly to assemble his assistants.

Jeff White, the Richmond Times-Dispatch's man on the case, reports that Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay and Ron Sanchez, a member of Bennett's Washington State staff, are possible choices. McKay, the Flames' head coach for two seasons and a former head coach at New Mexico, is a friend of Bennett's and his Liberty team defeated Virginia in November at John Paul Jones Arena.

Moreover, several people have e-mailed me inquiring about speculation that a coach with ties to Boo Williams' Hampton summer league will join Bennett at Virginia. Which leads to the following hunch:

If Bennett is pondering such a move, the most probable candidate is Bethel High assistant Ed Huckaby. He's a former assistant at Hampton University and Wright State. He's also the guardian of Bethel forward Ovie Soko, who last month committed to Liberty.

Might Bennett have asked McKay to recommend a coach connected to Hampton Roads? And might McKay have forwarded Huckaby's name.

Just thinking out loud.

Posted by David Teel
 

Can coach make Cavs hum?
April 1, 2009 1:47 am

HE'S ROUGHLY half the age of his namesake crooner and about 1 percent as famous. On the wow scale, he's also several pegs below some of the names that were bandied about for the Virginia basketball coaching vacancy.

But Tony Bennett is the Cavaliers' man. He'll be introduced at a press conference today, and he has his work cut out for him--not only in winning games in a demanding league, but winning over disappointed fans who were drooling over the idea of having Tubby Smith or Jeff Capel on the bench.

Fortunately, accomplishing the former usually solves the latter.

We don't know (or care) if this Bennett can sing. Here's what we do know:

He's young (39).

He can coach. He was national coach of the year in 2006-07, and his Washington State teams were 68-30 in his three years there, with two NCAA tournament appearances.

His teams play great defense. The Cougars allowed just 55.4 points per game this season, fewest in Division I. (Virginia, by the way, ranked last in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season.)

His personality is less abrasive than that of his predecessor, Dave Leitao.

He's not Tubby.

That final fact seems to grate at Virginia fans, who were hoping for (to mix sports metaphors) a home run. The response on message boards (the pulse of modern opinion) Monday night was mixed and underwhelming.

That's patently unfair to Bennett. Blame embattled athletic director Craig Littlepage, whose secretive search did nothing to rein in unrealistic expectations. By yesterday, the mood was more acceptance and cautious optimism.

If it helps, the reaction in the Northwest was mostly gnashing of teeth at losing a coach the fans appreciated and respected. Remember, Bennett rebuffed Indiana and LSU last year. And few had heard of Mike Krzyzewski when Duke hired him in 1980. After a rocky start to his tenure in Durham, that's worked out OK.

Now, Bennett must compete with Coach K, not to mention Roy and Gary Williams. His deliberate style and emphasis on defense (largely the result of a talent deficit like the one he inherits at Virginia) likely will allow the Cavaliers to frustrate opponents next season and stay more competitive than that might be otherwise.

Eventually, though, Bennett will need to recruit far better players than Virginia has now. Can he do it?

Time will tell. Pullman, Wash., isn't Chapel Hill or Lexington, Ky., let alone New York or Los Angeles. Then again, Washington State doesn't have a venue as nice as John Paul Jones Arena.

And since Bennett played three seasons in the NBA, he can get the attention of teenagers with hoop dreams. He recruited 6-foot-8 David Chadwick from Charlotte, N.C.--the heart of ACC country--to Washington State for next season.

Because Bennett isn't a household name on the East Coast, though, he'll need some help making inroads with high school and AAU coaches. He may bring part of his WSU staff east with him, but he should consider embracing Virginia's past.

He could hire former U.Va. stars Cory Alexander (now the Cavs' radio analyst) or Richard Morgan (now on the staff at Appalachian State).

The best choice, though, might be Bryant Stith.

Stith is Virginia's career scoring leader and a link to its last glory era of the early 1990s. He's also proven he can coach by taking his alma mater, Brunswick High School, to three straight state championship games.

He's well-respected and well-connected in the talent-rich "757" area of Southeastern Virginia. Besides establishing a key recruiting conduit, Bennett could earn some goodwill among a skeptical fan base.

Bennett could end up being a brilliant off-the-board hire for Littlepage. For now, though, both men need all the help they can get.

Steve DeShazo: 540/374-5443

 

Players pleased with new hire
By Whitey Reid
Published: April 2, 2009

“Who?”
Just like a large number of fans and media, that was the reaction of most Virginia players after they had heard Tony Bennett had been hired as their new coach.
But in the three days since Bennett came aboard, the reaction has morphed into an “Ahhh.”
Players have hit the Web, done their research and are now quite familiar — not to mention impressed — with the former Washington State coach, the national coach of the year in 2007-08.
On Wednesday, players met with the media for the first time since Bennett’s hiring.
“We were shocked about it,” said Virginia guard Mustapha Farrakhan, “but then once we knew who it was, it was just like, ‘OK, that’s not bad at all.’
“We’re really looking forward to it. He did a real nice job with that program and making it to the NCAA’s. He did a great job of turning that program around.”
Bennett met briefly with his new players on Tuesday.
“He was just real laid back, a chill dude,” said Virginia freshman Sylven Landesberg. “We all liked him. I don’t think any of us knew much about him coming into the meeting, so that cleared up a lot of things.
“From what I know and have heard, he’s a good coach — he wins. Whatever style he’s ready to play, I guess we can all adapt to it. He also told us that he adapts to his personnel, so whatever he thinks we’re capable of doing, he’ll let us do. It’s a new beginning…when they chose his name, it kind of came out of left field, but now we have a coach and I’m just happy.”
One player who was actually pretty familiar with Bennett was Sammy Zeglinski. The redshirt freshman, who had an up-and-down 2008-09 campaign, should benefit greatly from Bennett’s arrival.
Zeglinski is a gritty, fundamentally sound point guard — exactly what Bennett was as a college player at Wisconsin-Green Bay and in the NBA for the Charlotte Hornets.
“I couldn’t be happier with the decision,” Zeglinski said. “I think I can learn a lot from him. Obviously he knows a lot about the game.
“He played for his father who was a great coach himself and then he was coach of the year in 2007, I’m just really excited that they chose him.”
Freshman John Brandenburg wasn’t that familiar with Bennett until he remembered that Bennett used to be on Bo Ryan’s staff at Wisconsin. Ryan recruited Brandenburg coming out of high school.
Brandenburg, who hardly played as a freshman, said he was looking forward to a fresh start.
“He said his three principles are transition defense, rebounding and a structure on offense,” said the 6-foot-11 center. “I think the one thing we kind of lacked in the last couple of years was a structure on offense. It really was kind of a do-it-yourself offense. This will be interesting to see the change.”
Dunks
Solomon Tat was on crutches. The rising senior said he recently underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee and won’t be back in action until July. … Virginia will likely be in search of a new strength and conditioning coach. Former coach Shaun Brown is no longer with the program.