OT: Tony Bennett Retires - effective Immediately

jessej

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GIVING DAY 2023

MY SPECULATION
HE IS OLD SCHOOL - as his father was a college BBall coach. And at $4M per year he has saved enough cash and doesn't want to deal with free agency and raising NIL money and paying players
 

phoenix-arizona

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Lady Gaga GIF by Recording Academy / GRAMMYs
 

psyclone

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Odom will be announced as new UVa HC within three days
Given that the season is close at hand, I'm guessing that one of his assistants will be given the "interim" title with a chance of getting the job beyond this year if he has a decent year. All of the assistants have several years experience and Williford has been with him since Tony has been at UVa.

 
OP
jessej

jessej

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Given that the season is close at hand, I'm guessing that one of his assistants will be given the "interim" title with a chance of getting the job beyond this year if he has a decent year. All of the assistants have several years experience and Williford has been with him since Tony has been at UVa.

i'd guess Williford
 

Leesburg Chankenstank III

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man, how sad for college basketball....legendary coaches walking away from the game with millions left on their contracts because they hate the world of NIL.
I’m sure there were a lot of people who thought it was sad that cars made horses virtually obsolete. Now cars are an American obsession. We moved on.

It’s not sad to me. If they can’t handle it, goodbye. Truely legendary coaches adapt and survive. Players deserve to make money when their image is used to generate millions for people who are already multi millionaires.
 

gmubrian

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GIVING DAY 2023

MY SPECULATION
HE IS OLD SCHOOL - as his father was a college BBall coach. And at $4M per year he has saved enough cash and doesn't want to deal with free agency and raising NIL money and paying players
The timing doesn’t seem to jive with that. He could have done it much sooner and not screwed the team over. To me it hints at one of several possibilities:
1. Major health or family issue just came up.
2. Some sort of scandal was about to break. I doubt this one since I haven’t heard rumors about him.
3. Maybe he was making it so that Williford had to be given a shot.
 

Masonfan3

Starter
I’m sure there were a lot of people who thought it was sad that cars made horses virtually obsolete. Now cars are an American obsession. We moved on.

It’s not sad to me. If they can’t handle it, goodbye. Truely legendary coaches adapt and survive. Players deserve to make money when their image is used to generate millions for people who are already multi millionaires.
It is sad. Coaches basically work for boosters and collectives now. They also basically work for the players now as well. I think everyone agrees that the athletes deserve to make something but making money off of image is gone...it is now pay for play. You have kids making millions before they even step on campus and Tony Bennett and other coaches have no control over that. Why would anyone want to coach in an environment like that? You can be the best recruiter in the world but if you don't have some big money guys backing you, it is useless.
 

GMUgemini

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I’m sure there were a lot of people who thought it was sad that cars made horses virtually obsolete. Now cars are an American obsession. We moved on.

It’s not sad to me. If they can’t handle it, goodbye. Truely legendary coaches adapt and survive. Players deserve to make money when their image is used to generate millions for people who are already multi millionaires.

Not exactly the same thing.

But it’s more implementation. You take Okojie for example making demands about money and leaving when they aren’t met. It’s his name image and likeness. If he thinks he can make more money on it do it, don’t come to the school and demand more money from it (now making them employees and paying them is a different scenario).
 

Leesburg Chankenstank III

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Not exactly the same thing.

But it’s more implementation. You take Okojie for example making demands about money and leaving when they aren’t met. It’s his name image and likeness. If he thinks he can make more money on it do it, don’t come to the school and demand more money from it (now making them employees and paying them is a different scenario).
Market will set the price. Players are now also responsible for themselves. There will be some miscalculation on both sides. The point is to be able to pursue your max income potential as you deem fit.

Will everyone make the correct choices? Of course not. But the point is to have the opportunity to do so.
 

Leesburg Chankenstank III

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It is sad. Coaches basically work for boosters and collectives now. They also basically work for the players now as well. I think everyone agrees that the athletes deserve to make something but making money off of image is gone...it is now pay for play. You have kids making millions before they even step on campus and Tony Bennett and other coaches have no control over that. Why would anyone want to coach in an environment like that? You can be the best recruiter in the world but if you don't have some big money guys backing you, it is useless.
The definition of what it is to be the “best recruiter in the world l” has now changed.

Sad or not, that’s is subjective. But the fact is people want results within the framework that exists. And that framework going forward is NIL.
 

GSII

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Dean Smith left towards the end so his buddy Bill could get a shot at HC. So they say down here. Willford surely deserves it.
 

gmubrian

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A lot of people seem to be jumping to conclusions based on assuming this is anNIL related departure. The timing of Tony's departure really doesn't say NIL issue to me. He has likely already dealt with the major NIL work at this point for the upcoming season (unless something has just recently taken place). If it was NIL related why deal with all the hassles and not enjoy the season you have put the work in for?
It is sad. Coaches basically work for boosters and collectives now. They also basically work for the players now as well.
I don't see much of a change here. Coaches at large programs have always worked for their boosters. I don't see any issue with that as they are the top customers of the product. At Mason's financial level, it hasn't been this way, typically, and still doesn't seem this way. This is my personal opinion (not as a member of the Patriot Nation Collective board), but, I don't feel like Tony works for our collective. I feel the collective works for Tony (and the players) to provide him the best resources to assemble the best team he can. I believe the other members of the board would agree with me as well.

One change that seems to be occurring is access. I don't know if it is NIL related or a change in management in our AD or a little bit of both, but there seems to be more focus then ever on getting the fans access to/interaction with the coaches and players. I think that is a great thing on many levels.

The only significant negative I see to the NIL/unlimited transfer era is the turnover in team rosters and that is a positive at times (like when doing a roster rebuild). With upcoming laws and/or settlements I expect/hope some of that may be able to settle down. The reason I think that is that once the NCAA's only really pertinent rule regarding NIL goes by the wayside finally (not being able to tie your NIL contract to what school you go to) and/or schools start paying players directly, then multi-year contracts will be possible and realistic. I hope this encourages a little reduction in the roster turnover.
 

GMUgemini

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Market will set the price. Players are now also responsible for themselves. There will be some miscalculation on both sides. The point is to be able to pursue your max income potential as you deem fit.

Will everyone make the correct choices? Of course not. But the point is to have the opportunity to do so.

Dumb take my friend in that you’re talking about an unequal market based on donor interest and ability to pay.

If it’s true NIL yes market will determine a players value to the business. When it’s us paying the players, our ability and desire to pony up determines the value.

For instance, if Brian was a billionaire Okojie is still here…that has nothing to do with any real value he has to make Brian money.
 

jruby

Specialist
Dumb take my friend in that you’re talking about an unequal market based on donor interest and ability to pay.

If it’s true NIL yes market will determine a players value to the business. When it’s us paying the players, our ability and desire to pony up determines the value.

For instance, if Brian was a billionaire Okojie is still here…that has nothing to do with any real value he has to make Brian money.
At bigger schools and in retail college town environments, i'm sure there is actually a mutually beneficial agreement that can be had. However in most situations it truly is just paying players to get them to play for a certain school and it doesn't really help the business or donor.
 

Leesburg Chankenstank III

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Dumb take my friend in that you’re talking about an unequal market based on donor interest and ability to pay.

If it’s true NIL yes market will determine a players value to the business. When it’s us paying the players, our ability and desire to pony up determines the value.

For instance, if Brian was a billionaire Okojie is still here…that has nothing to do with any real value he has to make Brian money.
Sounds like a lot of nonsensical whining to me and had nothing to do with my point of opportunity. Whether it ends up well or not.

You can cry in your cheerios but success is dtermined by adapting. Players and programs alike l.
 
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