NCAA Basketball: Top 10 impact head coaching hires from 2009 offseason

By Joey Loose | Jun 14, 2021

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 08: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers cuts down the net after his teams 85-77 win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

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NCAA Basketball Tony Bennett Virginia Cavaliers (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

1. Tony Bennett (Virginia)

There’s been some great history at Virginia, especially when Ralph Sampson was starring for the Cavaliers several decades ago. However, this program was certainly in the midst of a dry spell, having had very little success in the ACC since the turn of the century. With Dave Leitao out as head coach, Virginia was left to hunt for a new leader and settled on one of the finest choices of the new century.

Tony Bennett starred at point guard on his father Dick’s Green Bay team before eventually working under his dad at Wisconsin, helping the Badgers to the Final Four in 2000. Though retained by Bo Ryan, Bennett would later follow his father to Washington and succeeded him as head coach. In his first head coaching position, Bennett took the Cougars to a Sweet Sixteen run, which remains their most recent Tourney appearance even to this day.

His work at Virginia has been phenomenal, including winning five regular-season titles in an outstandingly tough ACC. Leading the Cavaliers to the 2019 NCAA Tournament championship was a dream come true, especially after how the previous season had ended. Bennett has a yearly championship contender at Virginia, completely transforming and elevating this Cavaliers program beyond anything it’s ever seen before.

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We’re finished with our deep dive into those top coaching hires from 2009; but which of these do you think were the best?

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