UVA basketball coach Tony Bennett has signed a contract that ties him to Virginia for several more years and ups his base salary 13 percent to $1.924 million.
“We are pleased with Coach Bennett’s commitment to the University of Virginia,” said UVA Director of Athletics Craig Littlepage in a news release this week. “Tony believes in the goals of the athletics department and the mission of the University. The vision he had for our program when he accepted the head coaching position is developing according to his plan. It will be exciting to watch the development of our players and the program in the coming years.”
This spring, Bennett’s fifth at UVA, saw the men’s basketball team fight its way through a 13-game winning streak to clinch the regular-season ACC title and a number-one seed in the team’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 1995. The team tied the school record for victories with 30 wins before losing to Michigan State in the third round of the NCAA tournament.
The new contract, which replaces a previous extension set to end after the 2018-19 season, extends Bennett’s commitment through 2020-21. Besides the base salary bump, it includes $1.4 million in longevity bonuses and a buyout provision. Littlepage noted that the compensation will come from the Athletics Department budget, which doesn’t receive state funding.
“I’m thankful for receiving this new contract,” Bennett said in the release. “I love coaching at the University of Virginia and living in Charlottesville where the community has been wonderful to my family. I feel we are building something special here and this commitment by the University is another great step towards ensuring we continue to compete at a high level.”
The Charlottesville Newsplex reported last week that the men’s assistant coaches had already signed contract renewals. Associate head coach Ritchie McKay’s contract now runs through 2019, with a base salary of $179,800, supplemental compensation of $155,000, and a $9,000 car allowance. Assistant coaches Jason Williford and Ron Sanchez signed new four-year contracts with salaries of $225,000.