Bo Ryan retires

Yeah, he did. And if I remember right, it wasn't even to another school in the conference, not that it should matter anyways.

 

Yeah, it was. Jarred Uhtoff and Iowa, which @exmediahack mentioned. Not that it makes it right.

 

I'm not intimately familiar with either job, but it strikes me that moving from Virginia to Wisconsin would be something of a lateral move. From what I know of UVA, the right coach can build a very solid second-level program there at a school that has deep pockets and a great recruiting base (better than Wisconsin) in arguably the best conference in the game, and it appears that Bennett has done that. My guess is the only jobs that might entice him to leave Charlottesville would be one of the truly elite programs (Kansas, Kentucky, UNC, Duke, etc.).

 

If he wanted, Tony Bennett could be the coach at Indiana right now, so he isn't leaving for just any job. It's possible Wisconsin has the strong allure of home, but he seems very happy with where he is and what he's built.

He's finished first in the ACC two years in a row and has his best recruiting class yet coming in next year. Roy, K, Boeheim and Pitino won't coach that much longer. UVA might be as set up for longterm success as well as anyone in the ACC. He really just needs a deep tournament run.

 

albert, it's because of the supposed family connection, but IMO it's overstated. Tony didn't grow up near Madison -- played HS at Stevens Point and Green Bay several hours north while dad was coaching college in those places, then he was playing professionally when dad got the Madison job. He was an assistant for a few years in Madison under dad and Bo, but he hasn't spent a lot of time there.

 

I imagine Bennett would get a call but I also wonder if the donors clamor for a return of Bennettball. While successful in 2000, his teams also had spectacular offensive March flameouts the other years Dick Bennett was the head coach.

Believe Tony Bennett is fine being his own man and building his own program at UVA. He may go to a blue blood but, as I say this as an alum, Bo Ryan took Wisconsin as far as it can go on the national stage.

Jeter at UW-Milwaukee might get a call as one of Ryan's early assistants. Saul Phillips should have the inside track. Built up NDSU and young enough where energy isn't an issue.

I want to see Cal assistant Tracey Webster get the job. He's been an assistant with pretty good programs, played at UW 25 years ago and was the first true "star" of the Badger basketball modern era.

Greg Gard will assume the role of Gordon Chiesa. For now.

 

I'd lay good odds there's something medical going on with Ryan.

You don't just quit at semester. I get Spurrier doing it. He's a spur of the moment kind of guy.

 

Maybe that's the case.

I think he believes Alvarez doesn't want Gard so this is how you force Gard on him for a trial run.

 

No chance in hell.

Jeter's first NCAA team in 2006 was with Pearl's guys from the Sweet 16 run, so you can dismiss that. Jeter's second NCAA team in 2014 was a nice surprise from a fifth-place regular season finish, but then the program promptly was placed on a one-year postseason ban due to low APR last season. Mix in several years of 15-20 wins with a few single-digit campaigns.

Wisconsin and Alvarez will get much, much better candidates than a career mid-major coach with an occasional NCAA appearance.

 

Jeter will get a look because he's been a head coach for a long time, knows the area and that hiring him would make administrators feel good about themselves at cocktail parties.

 

Shaka (a true hometown kid) would have been the 98 percent lock if Ryan hadn't jacked them around like this.

 

Hadn't even thought of Shaka. He was a local high school star and went and played D3 and starting building his empire.