Virginia AD Carla Williams on what led to Tony Bennett's retirement: 'Shame on all of us'

Speaking with media at his retirement press conference on Friday, Tony Bennett made clear what plenty of people suspected: He was retiring from his job as Virginia’s head men’s basketball coach because of the current landscape in the sport.

Some part of it was frustration, another portion an honest self-reflection that he might not be the best man for the job anymore.

And Virginia athletic director Carla Williams reflected briefly on how Bennett’s decision reflects poorly not just on the current state of college athletics, but the people who allowed it to get to this place.

“I think that when people like Tony Bennett exit men’s basketball, exit our industry for something that has nothing to do with coaching or teaching or being a role model, then shame on all of us,” Williams said.

She also called for legislative intervention on the state and federal levels — a common refrain for athletic directors and other institutional leaders in college sports — to alleviate the problems facing college sports.

“It’s really complicated,” Williams said. “And we need state legislative intervention. We need federal intervention, congress. There’s an element of anti-trust involved. An element of labor involve. An element of employment involved. And all of those things involve federal law that we in athletics do not control. So there will have to be some legislative intervention to help create some guardrails for this industry.”

Bennett shared his reasons for retiring

At a press conference on Friday, Bennett offered his first public comments on his decision and his reasoning as to why he retired and the timing of his choice during an emotional, candid press conference.

“I realized I’m no longer the best coach to lead this program in the current environment. If you’re going to do it, you’ve got to be all-in. You have to give everything. If you do it half-hearted, it’s not fair to the university and those young men,” Bennett said. “That’s what made me step away.”

Bennett also intimated that assistant coach Ron Sanchez, who left a head coaching role to return to the Cavaliers staffs last offseason, will step in to the head coaching role. Sanchez previously worked as an assistant under Bennett from 2009-18.

“The staff, with Coach Sanchez leading it, and the rest of the staff, have a chance to take this group and do the job,” Bennett said.

Earlier in his presser, Bennett spoke about the moment in more abstract terms, and offered recognizance that while the job at Virginia was his for so long, it was not his to keep forever.

“This position has been on loan. It wasn’t mine to keep, and it’s time to give it back,” Bennett said.