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Virginia Cavaliers’ Tony Bennett Most Underrated Head Coach In The Country

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Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Virginia Cavaliers are off to a terrific start this season, posting a perfect 14-0 record. The Cavaliers haven’t gone this far unbeaten since the 1980-81 season, when former great Ralph Sampson, a three-time consensus first-team All-American, led the team to a 23-0 start and a trip to the school’s first final four.

Much of this season’s success, as well as recent prominence, has come at the hands of head coach Tony Bennett. Bennett is in his sixth season at the helm of the Cavaliers, posting an overall mark of 120-60, including a trip to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, as well as a conference regular season and tournament championship last season. The Cavaliers finished with a 30-7 record, marking only the second time in the school’s 109-year history the team reached 30 victories. Furthermore, their 16-2 conference record was the best in program history, climbing the Cavaliers to a third ranking in the final AP poll. It was the Cavaliers’ highest finish in the poll in 30 years. While Bennett enjoyed his best season a year ago, the Cavaliers have improved their win totals every year under his tenure.

While players come and go, including first-team All-ACC performer Joe Harris a season ago, the program’s success remains. Bennett has the Cavaliers holding opponents to 50.8 points per game on 33.3 percent shooting heading into their second ACC conference game, a matchup against the North Carolina State Wolf Pack. Only the Kentucky Wildcats have posted better numbers in either category thus far this season.

Bennett has prided the Cavaliers on defense, evident from last year’s team leading the nation in scoring defense at 50.8 points per game. However, the Cavaliers have been efficient on the offensive end as well, posting the 20th best field-goal percentage in the country. Junior Justin Anderson leads the team, averaging 15.1 points per game on 55.8 percent shooting.

Winning is nothing new for Bennett, who previously held a stint at Washington State. With the Cougars, Bennett won the AP and Naismith College Coach of the Year in 2007 after a 26-9 season and a trip to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Overall, Bennett finished with a career record of 69-33. To put Bennett’s success with the Cougars into context, his predecessor and successor at the position each posted sub-.500 records. Dick Bennett, Tony’s father, went 36-49 with the Cougars from 2003-2006. Ken Bone went 80-86 from 2009-2014.

At Virginia, Bennett took over a program from Dave Leitao, who held the position from 2005-2009. While Leitao’s tenure was slightly better than the aforementioned coaches, his 63-60 record was not enough to keep him around longer than four seasons. Barring a collapse this year, Bennett will have surpassed Leitao’s best win total of 21, reaching the mark or better in each of the last three seasons.

Bennett has proven to be a winner and deserves a place as one of the best coaches in the country. Still, league heavyweights such as Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski might be overshadowing Bennett’s resume. Not to mention, Washington State and Virginia don’t exactly hold the same prestige as North Carolina and Duke.

Regardless, nobody is more underrated than Bennett. If he continues to win, the only word to describe him should be the same as some of his league counterparts: elite.

Michael Costeines is the ACC basketball Blogger for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @MCosteines, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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