‘Inside UVA’: First Season of Podcast Wraps With Wahoo Basketball Coach Tony Bennett

July 6, 2022 By Andrew Ramspacher, fpa5up@virginia.edu Andrew Ramspacher, fpa5up@virginia.edu

Audio: ‘Inside UVA,’ with Tony Bennett, UVA Men's Basketball head coach(24:27)

In President Ryan's season-finale podcast, he chats with Bennett about his career so far, including a national championship.

Transcript

University of Virginia President Jim Ryan ended the first season of his “Inside UVA” podcast with one of the more recognizable faces on Grounds.

Cavalier men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett joined Ryan for a conversation that touched on everything from Bennett’s Wisconsin roots to his NBA career to the changing landscape of college athletics to, of course, UVA’s magical ride to the 2018-19 national championship.

This upcoming season will be Bennett’s 14th with the Wahoos and 17th overall as a head coach. He’s won 385 games and five Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season championships, taken 10 teams to the NCAA Tournament and earned one national title.

Not bad for a guy who told Ryan he once “swore off” coaching because of watching his father, Dick Bennett, and sister, Kathi Bennett, grind through the profession at various colleges.

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Jim Ryan wears headphones and talks into a microphone

President Jim Ryan’s podcast, “Inside UVA,” highlights the inner workings of running a large public university. (Photo by Dan Addison, University Communications)

Bennett said, “I was like, ‘No way! I just want to play in the NBA for 10 to 15 years and then when I’m done, I’m either going to retire in Hawaii on the beach and just volunteer and do some fun stuff or get involved in something else. But coaching? That’s nuts.’”

He obviously changed his mind – and UVA is forever grateful.

Tune in to “Inside UVA” to hear Ryan and Bennett’s full conversation and to explore previous episodes. You can listen on most podcast apps, including Apple PodcastsSpotify and Google Podcasts.

Bennett’s Cavaliers will travel to Italy next month for four exhibition games against European competition.

Media Contact

Andrew Ramspacher

University News Associate University Communications