What Tony Bennett means to a lifelong Virginia fan

We kind of felt like he was our coach, didn’t we?

I mean, of course if we subscribe to a team, we consider it “ours.” But Coach Tony Bennett feels like a personal figure to some – especially those of us who are young enough to call ourselves lifelong fans.

I started watching Virginia Cavaliers basketball in 2011, just two years into Bennett’s Virginia tenure. Without revealing my age, I can admit I was young then – a kid, actually.

As a little girl who was playing basketball for the first time, I watched Bennett not only on the sidelines, but in his pressers. I listened to what he had to say, like you would in the locker room at half time.

I later met him when I was 16 years old, visiting Grounds for a summer basketball camp.

“It’s so great to meet you, sir. My dad and I think you’re just the greatest to ever do it.”

He very humbly thanked me and, although I knew I interrupted his day, he stayed a moment longer to ask me about myself.

I returned to my camp drills where the other girls were asking, “who was that?” I couldn’t believe they were so clueless!

“That’s my hero.”

I’m a little more grown up now and I no longer play competitively, but Virginia basketball is still all I’ve ever known. I proudly subscribed to the packline defense, cheered for forced shot-clock violations, adopted his Five Pillars, and loyally rooted for the ‘Hoos when college basketball doubted them the most.

And, for over ten years now, I’ve cried at every season-ending loss. With one exception in 2019. Those were happy tears.

That’s been my entire life. And I’m a better person because of it.

Coach Bennett has always expressed the privilege of his position. He constantly reminds us of what’s important. Basketball has been his means to living out his self-proclaimed purpose.

From the young girl still inside me: you’ve done your job, Coach.

And we’re better because of it.