Mar 20, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Bennett reacts to a play during the first half against the Belmont Bruins in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Tony Bennett
Record: 205–97
Another coach that’s made a lot out of a little, Tony Bennett has turned Virginia into a perennial contender and a defensive beast. Virginia’s finished in the top-5 of the kenpom rankings each of the last two seasons despite only containing one top-50 RSCI recruit on the roster. Virginia may not be loaded with talent, but boy can they execute defensively at an absurd level.
Bennett’s coached up his players to have absurd defensive awareness for the college level. Across the board, Virginia’s players are able to recognize an action and make a rotation a step ahead of the offense. You just don’t see this type of discipline in college. There’s no doubting Bennett’s ability to teach defense.
Bennett’s other traits are less desirable in an NBA head coach. He’s shown virtually no creativity or willingness to bend his philosophy. The defensive scheme Virginia runs, the “pack-line” defense, is the one his father, Dick Bennett, is credited for inventing. They guard ball-screens one way and one way only. The offense never varies from the basic motion they run. Every possession is the same. They’re also incredibly slow moving.
In 2015, Virginia finished 349th out of 351 NCAA teams in kenpom’s adjusted tempo metric. Similarly they finished 349th in percent of FGA in transition. It’s hard to see Bennett being creative enough to maximize a team’s offensive abilities at the high-paced NBA level where he wouldn’t have a 35-second shot clock to grind out.
Next: Tom Izzo