“Who cares what you think about his style of play, he’s kicking b*tt”: Tony Bennett’s wife slams back at doubters after husband’s retirement

For Virginia’s basketball program and its fans, Tony Bennett is a sure-shot Hall of Fame coach. A recruiting virtuoso, he led the program to its first NCAA championship and kept it competitive in the conference even during its down days.

However, amidst all the love, Bennett also faced criticism for his style of play, particularly his defensive first approach and slow tempo. Despite this, his wife, Laurel Bennett, does not take it to heart. While she believes in allowing people to have their own opinions about her husband, she firmly supports Tony Bennett, pointing to the consistent results yielded by his Virginia Cavaliers.

During an appearance on the "Locker Room Access" on Friday, Bennett said:

"People are gonna have their opinion and that's all it is. It really does not matter to me, not in a rude way, just in a if you knew him, you wouldn't think that. And who cares what you think about his style of play? He's kicking bu**. So, you don't have to like it; you don't have to watch it."(47:18)

Tony Bennett resigned as the winningest coach in the Virginia Cavaliers' program history after 15 years of gripping the reins.

His team posted a 364-136 record with UVA, a winning percentage of 72.8%. He made Virginia a defensive powerhouse, leading them to 10 NCAA appearances, six conference season titles, two ACC tournament titles and their only NCAA title.

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Why did Tony Bennett resign from Virginia?

Given his love and care for Virginia’s long-term success, the news about Tony Bennett's resignation even shocked the non-Cavaliers fans. However, Bennett believes that the program needs a different voice and approach.

On Friday, the former coach said that he could not wholeheartedly commit to the role, which is the main reason behind his exit.

“I’m no longer the best coach to lead this program in this current environment,” Bennett said (per CNN). “And if you’re going to do it, you’ve got to be all in. You’ve got to have everything. And if you do it halfhearted, it’s not fair to the university and those young men."

Bennett’s decision comes less than three weeks before Virginia's 2024-25 season opener on Nov. 6. In light of this timeline, Ron Sanchez, an associate head coach on Bennett's staff, has been named the interim head coach of the program.