Tony Bennett, the former University of Virginia men’s basketball coach, is headed back to the NBA — and to Hollywood.
Bennett on Wednesday was named an NBA draft advisor by the Los Angeles Lakers, the club announced. Bennett, who played three NBA seasons before embarking on a coaching career, will advise Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ President of Basketball Operations and General Manager.
“We’re thrilled and honored to welcome Tony as an advisor to the Lakers basketball operations department,” Pelinka said in a statement from the Lakers. “As we refine and build out our NBA draft and scouting processes, we could think of no better basketball mind than Tony Bennett to have as a resource. Tony’s track record of forming culture, with high-character, high-skill and high-IQ players, is revered and respected across all basketball circles. Tony will be an incredible asset to our basketball leadership, to our scouts and to our draft department as a whole. We are truly excited.”
Bennett was UVA’s head coach for 15 years until his abrupt resignation just before last season. He was a three-time National Coach of the Year, led the Cavaliers to 13 consecutive winning ACC records and guided UVA to the 2019 NCAA championship.
UVA’s basketball court was dedicated to Bennett in a pregame ceremony Saturday.
“When Rob and I began talking, what stood out to me was the chance to help out such a storied organization,” Bennett said in a statement released by the Lakers. “The Lakers carry a tradition that speaks for itself, so to be connected to it and assist Rob and the Lakers in any way I can is exciting.”
Bennett, a Wisconsin native who played for Wisconsin-Green Bay, was a second-round pick (35th overall) in the 1992 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets. He played three NBA seasons with the Hornets.
As a coach, Bennett was 69-33 with Washington State before his tenure at UVA. He posted a 433-169 overall record in 18 total seasons.
