Shocking ACC news came out of Charlottesville last Thursday, with Virginia head coach Tony Bennett retiring. Bennett, widely considered one of the best players in college basketball, left the game just before the start of the 2024-2025 season. Some of the coaches in attendance may have actually breathed a sigh of relief.
Kenny Payne has played against Bennett in recent seasons and previously led the Louisville program. Asked Thursday about his colleague’s departure, Payne said there had been some recent correspondence between the two. And not surprisingly, there appears to be nothing but respect.
“I talked to Coach Bennett,” Payne said. “We exchanged a few messages last week. I left him with these words: “Be true to yourself.” Please know what is. ”He is a man of high character and faith.
“He felt like he couldn’t work the way he wanted to on his own terms. So he walked away and hats off to him. We deserved him in this college game, he deserved this college game. But he deserves to be happy and I wish him all the best.”
Bennett and Payne went head-to-head four times, with the Cavaliers winning all of them. Last season was his last at Virginia and Louisville, respectively. As previously mentioned, Bennett retired and Payne was fired after struggling to find wins.
Perhaps, at some point, Bennett will come to see Payne in his new location in Arkansas. Payne is once again an assistant under John Calipari, but in a different SEC program. Everyone on the outside has some weird feelings, but Payne wants to build something with Calipari in Fayetteville.
It’s clear that competing for a national championship is the goal, and Bennett would have been right there if he hadn’t retired. Instead, he gets to enjoy college basketball just like everyone else.
