Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
The University of Virginia just recently introduced a brand new football coach to its’ supporters. On December 4, 2015, Bronco Mendenhall was hired to bring prominence to a forgotten program. On March 31, 2009 they made a similar move in relation to basketball team. It’s safe to say Tony Bennett has delivered on that investment. At this point, restating his resume has become a little redundant; but it’s done so often because Bennett’s earned the right to beat on his chest a little. He won’t, but he deserves to.
Bennett has won 30 games in the last two years he’s been at the helm for the Virginia Cavaliers. The only other coaches to do that in the rich history of the ACC are Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams. In 2014, he defeated Krzyzewski for the ACC Championship. Currently, the Cavaliers sit at 11-1, and there’s no reason to think another 30-win season can’t be accomplished. Bennett is one of the great defensive minds in the country, and now he’ll be setting his sights on some more impressive hardware for the trophy case.
The upcoming game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on January 2 will be a great one to watch. The Cavaliers don’t seem to share the depth of some of their ACC adversaries, but they’re getting the most out of everybody. Role players have stepped up when necessary, and they haven’t needed the same ones to do so each time. Opening conference play against the Fighting Irish will be a great early-season test to see where both teams are. If one or two reserves can step their game up a little and do it consistently, this team may challenge the early-season favorite North Carolina Tar Heels for the ACC championship.
Geoffrey Knox is a Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow on Twitter @gq_4_eva, “Like” on Facebook or add to your network on Google+ and Linkedin.
