/
.
Tony Bennett Named Court Coach For USA World University Games Team
Story Links
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.-Virginia men’s head basketball coach Tony Bennett is one of three coaches selected by USA Basketball to be court coaches for the 2011 USA Basketball Men’s World University Games National Team training camp. The camp will be held July 29-Aug. 7 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
“I love what USA Basketball stands for and how it does things,” Bennett said. “It was a privilege to play for USA Basketball as a member of the Pan American Games team in 1991 and in the Olympic Basketball Festival in 1989. Players I’ve coached have also had the opportunity to play on various USA Basketball teams. Now to be a part of the organization as a court coach is a tremendous honor.”
Matt Painter (head coach, Purdue) is the head coach of the World University Games Team and his assistants are Cuonzo Martin (head coach, Tennessee) and Brad Stevens (head coach, Butler).
The other coaches selected as court coaches for the training camp are Sean Miller (head coach, Arizona) and Shaka Smart (head coach, VCU).
Twenty-two top collegiate players are scheduled to participate in the training camp and compete for inclusion on the 12-man roster that will represent the USA at the 2011 World University Games men’s basketball competition Aug. 13-22 in Shenzhen, China.
“USA Basketball is about working with the best of the best in terms of players and being around some of the finest coaches and greatest basketball minds in the game,” Bennett said. “I know I’ll enjoy the camaraderie and being a part of selecting a talented team with the ability to win a gold medal.”
This is Bennett’s first coaching opportunity with USA Basketball, but he participated twice with the organization as a player. He was a member of the USA Pan American Games team in 1991 and participated in the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1989.
Bennett played in seven games with the 1991 Pan American Games team and averaged 6.1 points a game, led the team in assists with 23 and was second in steals with 15. The team earned the bronze medal. He won a gold medal at the 1989 Olympic Festival.
The USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee made the court coach selections. Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim is the chair of the committee and is joined by Lorenzo Romar (head coach, Washington), Bruce Weber (head coach, Illinois), Roy Williams (head coach, North Carolina) and Jay Williams, a member of the 2002 USA World Championship team.
The 2011-12 season will be Bennett’s third as head coach at Virginia. The Cavaliers finished with an overall record of 16-15 last season, UVa’s first winning season since 2007-08.
In five years as a collegiate head coach, Bennett’s teams have compiled an overall record of 100-64. Virginia is 31-31 under Bennett’s direction the last two seasons. He was the head coach at Washington State for three years before coming to UVa and his WSU teams were 69-33, participated in two NCAA Tournaments and one NIT.