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Tony Bennett retiring.

Yeah, when I saw this on cougfan I assumed it was at the end of the season. He's seems more of a private guy? Wonder how much is discovered around why and why now?
 
Yeah, when I saw this on cougfan I assumed it was at the end of the season. He's seems more of a private guy? Wonder how much is discovered around why and why now?
Damn you guys beat me to it. I just read this. Yeah there has to be a backstory. $5 sez Mr. 5 Pillars was Pillaring (pillowing) some young coed or AD assistant.
 
I think he just falls into the camp of Saban and Jay Wright and with the new NIL wild, wild west...why bother anymore?
The university is saying it isn't health related...sort of weird to retire right before the season starts and after signing a new contract.
Well since Saban was 71 and Bennett is 55 I question that comparison. And yeah it is more than weird. I'll stick to my prediction of hanky panky.
 
Well since Saban was 71 and Bennett is 55 I question that comparison. And yeah it is more than weird. I'll stick to my prediction of hanky panky.
Jay Wright retired at 60, and that was before NIL became even more out of control.

If it's any type of hanky panky, it's probably the university administration that fumbled some transition plan he wanted for the program.
 
Goodman says Tony health not the reason. Questions whether it's a family member plus the general cluster that is college athletics.

 
This is just the Bennett's MO.
His dad quit mid-season at Wisc.
His dad anounced he was retiring from WSU before the end of the season.
TB abruptly quits in the pre-season. No official games yet, but certainly the team is engaged fully at this point.
Might be a way of forcing the University to pick one of his assistants. Of maybe something snapped (or about to). Dick Bennett was supposedly on the edge of a nervous breakdown/exhaustion/burn-out at Wisconsin. Seems like since TB has spent his entire life in basketball, he would know what he was getting into at the start of a season and could have decided in the summer whether to return or not...
 
Yeah, just sounds like he had enough of all the $*** we have been talking about as fans the last few years. He could have done better with the timing, but I don't blame him.

From The Athletic article ($):

“There’s still a way in this environment. There’s a way with Carla and President (Jim) Ryan and the board to do it and to hold to our values but it’s complicated. And to admit honestly that I’m not equipped to do this, is humbling.

“I’m a square peg in a round hole.”

 
Yeah, just sounds like he had enough of all the $*** we have been talking about as fans the last few years. He could have done better with the timing, but I don't blame him.

From The Athletic article ($):

“There’s still a way in this environment. There’s a way with Carla and President (Jim) Ryan and the board to do it and to hold to our values but it’s complicated. And to admit honestly that I’m not equipped to do this, is humbling.

“I’m a square peg in a round hole.”

Good for him on leaving with on his terms. I suspect he was under a ton of pressure to win and compete in a tough ACC and play to play environment.

I also suspect he'll be back at some point.

Surround him with the right $$$ to recruit players, he'll be fine.
 
Good for him on leaving with on his terms. I suspect he was under a ton of pressure to win and compete in a tough ACC and play to play environment.

I also suspect he'll be back at some point.

Surround him with the right $$$ to recruit players, he'll be fine.
Yeah, definitely time to return. I wonder if there's a good fit for him in terms of geography, conference, academics, resources, etc. like UVA before things changed? UVA was a great fit for him and right now he sounds done. Who else makes sense? Duke or maybe UNC? Maybe an Ivy where NIL stuff is out of the mix? I guess time will tell.
 
Tony and Dick's teams developed players over 2-3 years and mixed in lower classmen with upper classmen, systems like that are disappearing in all this. The problem with NIL, is half your roster is turning over every year, hard to implement his philosophy in one year when half the team is new each year. I get it, he's sitting in millions, his kids are growing up, spend time with your wife and kids while you can. If I had his money, I wouldn't put up with all that is going on these days either. The timing is strange, it is the one thing I don't understand, but I would assume he had his reasons, which we will find out in the future.
 
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