Five months after he retired as the winningest coach in University of Virginia menās basketball history, Tony Bennett is still being recognized for his contributions to the game.
ā a national publication covering college basketball ā on Monday announced Bennett as the recipient of the , an honor spotlighting a current or former coachās impact on his players, school and community in addition to their on-court achievements.
āTony Bennett embodies everything that is great about college basketball,ā CollegeInsider.com President Joe Dwyer said of Bennett, a three-time national coach of the year. āBeyond all the wins and the accolades, his coaching career will be remembered for the impact he had on so many players and coaches. College basketball needs more people like Tony Bennett.ā
New Cavaliers menās basketball coach Ryan Odom was among those congratulating Bennett for joining a list of previous Bartow Award winners that includes University of Miamiās Jim LarraƱaga and University of North Carolinaās Roy Williams.
Standing in Bennettās former office, with Bennettās famed pillars still on the wall, including āthankfulness,ā Odom expressed his gratitude for the 2019 national champion.
āWeāre so thankful for you, for what you have done for our profession,ā Odom said, āthe representative youāve been for this amazing institution here, the University of Virginia, the father figure for all the players youāve coached and mentored.
āYouāve always done it with integrity, youāve done it with class, and youāve done it with a competitiveness and a fire that is completely evident to everyone. You wanted to win, but you wanted to win the right way and with the right people.ā
Odom said heās grateful to have Bennett nearby as he begins his UVA career.
āIām thankful you are right here in Charlottesville still, with your family,ā he said. āIām thankful we get to experience this together. Iām going to need you, without a doubt.ā
The new head coach at the University of Virginia, Ryan Odom has a special message for Tony Bennett, the recipient of the 2025 Gene Bartow award.
ā College Insider Inc. (@collegeinsider)
Ryan Odom: Coach Bennett, congratulations. What an amazing honor for one of the best coaches to ever do it.
Obviously, Iām standing here in your office. This is a little bit surreal right now.
But this word says it all. Weāre so thankful for you, for what you have done for our profession, the representative that youāve been for this amazing institution here, the University of Virginia, the father figure for all the players that youāve coached and mentored, for all the players youāve coached over the years.
Youāve always done it with integrity, youāve done it with class, and youāve done it with a competitiveness and a fire that is completely evident to everyone. You wanted to win, but you wanted to win the right way and with the right people. And you were able to do it for a long, long time.
Weāre so thankful for everything youāve done for our profession, the University and just all of us.
We wish you the best in retirement. I am thankful that you are here, youāre right here in Charlottesville still, with your family. Iām thankful we get to experience this together. Iām going to need you, without a doubt.
God bless, and Iāll see you soon.
Odom and Bennett, of course, arenāt strangers to one another. On March 16, 2018, Odom led 16th-seeded University of Maryland, Baltimore Country, to a historic upset of top-seeded UVA in Charlotte.
