March 30, 2009 in Sports

Bennett shocks team, leaves for Virginia

Vince Grippi The Spokesman-Review

Tags: Tony Bennett Washington State University

Tony Bennett gives fans a thumbs up as he departs on a private plane from the Pullman airport Monday evening.
(Full-size photo)

PULLMAN ¬ Washington State University men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett surprised his players, his assistants and the school administration Monday by accepting an offer to become the head coach at the University of Virginia.

“I was so shocked,” freshman guard Klay Thompson said of Bennett’s announcement to the team and staff Monday afternoon.

Bennett, who just finished his third season as WSU head coach, spent last Wednesday speaking with his assistants and others about the challenges next season would bring.

But Cavaliers athletic director Craig Littlepage contacted his WSU counterpart, Jim Sterk on Thursday morning, made contact with Bennett that day and, by Monday afternoon, Bennett had decided to leave his first head coaching position.

“Disappointed,” Sterk answered Monday evening in a teleconference when asked his feelings about Bennett’s decision.

Sterk and WSU president Elson S. Floyd met with Bennett on Saturday morning after he returned from a quick trip to Virginia. At that time no job had been offered.

It was later that afternoon, but Sterk said Bennett told him then he wasn’t sure. They talked again Sunday morning, Sterk said, and at that point Bennett and wife, Laurel, had decided to stay.

At 1:45 Monday afternoon, Sterk said, he received a call from Bennett saying he was going to take the Virginia job.

Bennett told returning players and coaches about his plans at a 2 p.m. meeting in Beasley Coliseum.

A source close to the situation told The Spokesman-Review the decision was a tough one, but after discussing and praying about it, the coach and his wife decided it was the right move for their family and future.

“I’m disappointed, I’m really disappointed,” Thompson said. “Shoot, I don’t know. But it’s life. I’ll adjust. As far as my future, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’ll see who they’re going to bring in.”

Thompson said the meeting at Beasley was emotional and that Bennett was apologetic.

“In the end it’s a business decision for Coach Bennett and he has to look out for his family and what he thinks is best,” freshman guard Marcus Capers said. “I’m not mad on that part, but he told my mom he was going to stay here so I’m a little hurt by that. Other than that, I’m cool with the whole situation.”

Though Bennett refused comment, saying in a text he was respecting UVA’s wishes, sources close to the situation told The Spokesman-Review that recent WSU budget concerns may have played a part in his decision.

The school was contemplating dropping charter flights for the basketball team next season – an addition to the program when Bennett’s contract was reworked after last year, along with improvements to Beasley Coliseum – and had eliminated a planned trip to the Final Four for Bennett and his staff.

Bennett offered late in the season to rework his contract, which called for a salary of more that $1 million this season, including bonuses and outside compensation. He talked with Sterk and others about donating $100,000 back to the program to ensure the continuation of the charters and other ancillary items.

“It’s tough to sweeten his personal (compensation) when he’s telling you he’s giving $100,000 back,” Sterk said.

Bennett’s contract calls for a $400,000 buyout to Washington State if he left prior to April 30, 2009 and Sterk said Virginia would be paying that sum. Bennett also received a $100,000 contract-mandated retention bonus March 15.

“Yesterday when I spoke with him, he said they had offered a great package, brand new arena, ACC and all that, but it wasn’t necessarily the money,” Sterk said trying to explain Bennett’s decision.

But, like most connected to the program, Sterk couldn’t come up with a reason why Bennett decided to leave now.

“I think you would have to ask him that,” he said. “I don’t have an answer for that.”

In Pullman last week, Bennett talked about next season.

“It’s (going to be) the school of hard knocks,” he said then of a team that will have just one returning senior. “You’re going to be thrown in the fire and you’re not going to have the upperclassmen bail you out so to speak. … It really will be a year, (where you ask) will they be able to hang together and hang tough?”

Bennett came to Pullman with his father, Dick, on March 29, 2003. He took over as head coach in 2006, leading the Cougars to a 26-8 record and the second round of the NCAA tournament. The next season, WSU finished 26-9 and advanced to the Sweet 16, where it lost 68-47 to ACC power North Carolina.

This season the Cougars, with three freshmen playing major roles, finished 17-16 and lost in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament at St. Mary’s.

Bennett’s 69-33 won-loss record gives him the highest winning percentage (67.6) in WSU history for coaches of more than one season. His 69 wins ties him with Kevin Eastman for sixth on WSU’s all-time list.

Virginia has yet to officially schedule a press conference announcing its new coach, but according to the one is expected either today or Wednesday.

39 comments on this story so far. Add yours!

coreyb on March 30 at 2:51 p.m.
WTF would make him do this? He turned down much better programs to go to ……….Virginia? You have got to be kidding me. This is just a huge kick to the nuts.

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mjbcoug on March 30 at 2:54 p.m.
I want to cry. This sucks balls~! What a complete and total bummer this is.

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donks on March 30 at 3:48 p.m.
The story out of Bohler reports that Sterk will contact Bobby Knight, Randy Bennett from St. Mary's, Billy Greer from Sand Deigo, Ken Bone from Portland St., and Steve Lavin. They all seem like candidates who either have big time coaching experience or are ready to make the jump to the Pac10.

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TommyCoug on March 30 at 4:19 p.m.
It is a shame…too bad…we're “ALL” just a bunch of liars…and that includes Bennett! No news…on the weekend…and on the sly…the real crummy way to do it!

I am sure many of us felt it could or would happen sometime in the near (5-10 year) future. However, not like this. Wow…I feel used and used up…like a druged up, used up lady of the night!

Coreyb…the only thing I disagree with you about is that Virginia is “not as good” a program as he turned down last year. It needs to be rebuilt, is a storied basketball school with good deep college game history…just right for a Bennett move…unfortunately.

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KJ1968 on March 30 at 4:38 p.m.
Bring on Dan Monson!!!

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Tom_R on March 30 at 5:17 p.m.
I bet he wishes he took the Indiana job last year. Much better basketball talent in Indiana than Virginia. When he turned down all of those great offers I thought he would be in Pullman for a long time. I think losing Baynes, Forrest, Rochestie, and Harmeling after losing Weaver, Cowgill, and Low was a bit much. These were real qualities guys, people as his dad would say, you can lose with. That coach that is at St. Mary's (Randy Bennett) would be a nice pick, if he would accept. The Cougars don't need Monson; he was a failure at Minnesota. U. of Virgnia is a great university, but it has become pretty much of a dog basketball program. I don't think Tony Bennett has the stuff to turn that program around. Not unless he brought in his dad as an assistant. But that's not going to happen. I wish him the best, but I don't think he will be successful there.

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gslbball on March 30 at 5:38 p.m.
This is the primary difference between Gonaga and WSU. Long term v. short term coaches.

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Graduate_of_Ferris_High on March 30 at 6:24 p.m.
And thats why you should never trust a man that doesn't wear a tie to work.

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Coug Forever on March 30 at 7:08 p.m.
First I blame Vince, he complained about the Pullman weather all winter long which must have gotten to Tony. I know it got to me and I was in Arizona.
Second I blame (I hesitate to get personal) his wife. She lived the winter in Pullman and also read this blog and it finally was more than she could take.
After all what else would make a good man break his word……his wife.

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nurseinpullman on March 30 at 7:34 p.m.
What an absolute an utter disappointment. I wish Tony well but this move leaves a horrible taste in my mouth. If Klay and/or some of the other talented freshman leave because of this, basketball attendance will be what it was before the “Bennett Era” and that is non-existant. A highlight could be that we could get a coach that likes a faster paced game.

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barneycal on March 30 at 7:43 p.m.
Huge disappointment. But if you put the puzzle together ….. Cougs lose to St. Mary's …. St. Mary's loses to San Diego St. ……. I am sure Sterk was in SD this weekend. That would be a great find. I just hope Thompson stays . He is the key.

Go Cougs.

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Bart Mihailovich on March 30 at 8:17 p.m.
Ray Giacoletti

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Jim OKeefe on March 30 at 9:36 p.m.
Where do you wanna live? In VA…..the middle of National activity or Colfax, WA? You kidding?

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Grady on March 30 at 11:06 p.m.
The more information we get, the more mind-boggling this is. Seems like a rushed decision on Tony's part. I hope he somehow has a change of heart before he signs anything. But that's wishful thinking. Let's hope our nucleus of freshmen stay together and we keep building for the future… with a coach that cares more about us than facilities and location.

I'm not buying the budget concerns, as Virginia schools were asked to cut 15% earlier this year. I think two things happened: One, he panicked and thought this may be his last chance to make it big in the coaching ranks. Two, he was fed up with the travel issues and didn't want to have to donate 100,000 back just to have his needs met here.

Perplexing decision. Sadly, I don't think we'll ever get an explanation of why he left that's good enough

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C. Rader on March 31 at 12:01 a.m.
Bennet's stock wasn't going to get any higher. Next season they weren't going to be any good at all and it would take another 3 or four years to rebuild. UVA is good for him and I think after the last three decades of good coaches leaving the program at their high mark, Cougar fans would be used to it. I didn't say they should like it, but they should be used to it. WSU is a stepping stone school.

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wazzuwyatt on March 31 at 6:35 a.m.
You go that right, Chris: WSU is a “stepping stone school” in basketball. I'm disgusted and disappointed that Tony is leaving. I thought he had more character than that. I did notice on every game on TV that he had a unhappy look on his face and I began to wonder.
I trust Sterk to do another good job getting a replacement.

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Tom_R on March 31 at 6:53 a.m.
The more I look at this thing, I think it was decisions at the top that might have annoyed and even angered Bennett enough to tip the scale. The blame can be directed at the president of WSU for backing away from promises made when they signed Tony to his most recent contract. He tried to hustle Tony, and in the final analysis it didn't work.

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ScottL on March 31 at 8:39 a.m.
Maybe we should not be Pac 10. If we were in the same conference with Gonzaga, or with Utah, our stability with coaches would probably be the same in terms of stepping stone schools, but at least we wouldn't be constantly going in and out of the big time. Let's face it. Pullman and Corvallis are highly likely to rotate out good coaches as soon as they gain some national stock, simply because of where we are located. Keeping a top coach is not impossible, but imagine yourself as a coach, wanting to be the best at your trade. You do well here, which was a step up from your last school, and higher level programs start with the offers.
I, for one, will not expect, let alone believe, any long term promises of staying in Pullman from any coach. As for the sudden departure, we need to remember that the musical chairs of coaching in college begins immediately after all the tournaments end, so as to get the recruiting under way.
Maybe we should approach coaches the way we approach players: Four years, or five, max, and they are gone. We could develop a system of developing assistants into head coaches on a consistent basis. That way we wouldn't get too attached to any coach. Any coach who stays after four or five years would or could be a plus, but we would not expect it, nor would we be trying to have it be that way. Instead, our assistants would be looking forward to the opportunity to move up. I will never ask or believe any coach who says he or she plans to stay-never again!

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donniesmithern on March 31 at 9:53 a.m.
I wasn't taking this well I will admit. But after reading that he prayed on this decision with his family, I feel a lot better. HANG ON! Are you freaking kidding me? It's nice to know that if you pray really hard, god will always come down on the side of cutting and running, especially when there is money involved.

Word of advice UVA fans, don't trust a word this guy says.

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beachballer06 on March 31 at 4:42 p.m.
Hope you have as much success as DAN MONSON, MIKE PRICE, AND KELVIN SAMPSON, YOU IDIOT, HAVE YOU EVER EVEN LIVED NEAR THE BELTWAY OR RICHMOND, YOUR A DAMN MORON.

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