And yet, it still seemed there was plenty left in the tank for the 55-year-old coach, who signed a contract extension in June of this year to remain Virginia's head coach through 2030. While no one expected Bennett to coach into his 70s and an early retirement was always on the board,

Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett never chased the spotlight. That included with his stunning and abrupt decision to retire effective immediately, announced on the eve of the start of the season.

Bennett led Virginia to the pinnacle of the sport in 2019, knocking off Texas Tech 85-77 in overtime to win the national championship. He accumulated 364 career wins during a 15-year run at Virginia, winning the ACC championship six times.