Virginia men's basketball coach Tony Bennett, who led the Cavaliers to a national championship in 2019, signed a contract extension through the end of the 2029-30 season, the school announced Thursday.
An additional year will automatically be added to the end of the deal if Bennett remains Virginia's coach on April 30, 2026.
“I love UVA and it has always been a special place for me and my family,” Bennett said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to work with [athletic director] Carla Williams and [university president] Jim Ryan and representing the University of Virginia. My staff and I look forward to adapting to the new landscape of college athletics. We will continue to build one of the best basketball programs on and off the court without compromising the values of our university. Go Hoos!”
Bennett has been at Virginia since 2009, when he replaced Dave Leitao after three seasons at Washington State. Since he took over in Charlottesville, Bennett has led the Cavaliers to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances and six ACC regular-season championships. He was named AP National Coach of the Year twice, in 2007 and 2018, and won a pair of conference tournament titles.
Through 16 seasons at Virginia, Bennett is 364-136 overall.
“Tony Bennett is critical to our efforts to compete for championships in this new model of collegiate athletics,” Williams said. “He embodies everything important to the University of Virginia and Virginia athletics. It is an honor to work with him and we are excited about the future of men's basketball under his leadership.”
Virginia struggled down the stretch last season, losing five of its final nine games before falling to Colorado State in the NCAA tournament. But the Cavaliers have rebuilt their roster through the transfer portal and recruiting route, adding ESPN 100 forward Jacob Cofie and potential impact transfers TJ Power (Duke), Elijah Saunders (San Diego State), Dai Dai Ames (Kansas State) and Jalen Warley (Florida State).
