(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
Well, the dust has settled and the initial shock has worn off for Virginia fans.
For two weeks, Virginia's athletic director Craig Littlepage orchestrated a coaching search that featured as much misinformation and vague clues as the U.S.S.R.
The leaks were kept airtight and, as a result, the media had a field day.
Tubby Smith to Virginia? Sure, he started his career at VCU and it's cold in Minnesota.
Jeff Capel to Virginia? Sure, he wants to return home and show Coach K along with the rest of the ACC he is one of the best coaches in the country.
In retrospect we can see that these were rather large reaches. Both men have great programs and it would have taken a great deal for them to leave.
Still, there were realistic names on the list like Anthony Grant and Fran McCaffery. Were these men even interviewed or contacted? We may never know.
However, what's done is done. Virginia has a new coach and a new style with the hire of Tony Bennett.
As you may expect from the name, that style is certainly old school.
Bennett is a protege of his father Dick Bennett whose tenacious defense and timely half-court offense helped turn around a Wisconsin program that was stuck in anonymity in the Big Ten.
The Bennetts then went to Wazzou and turned around a dormant program. When Dick retired, naming his son as head coach, Tony Bennett led his Cougars to the NCAA Tournament before falling to Vanderbilt in the second round.
His 26-8 season earned him the 2007 AP National Coach of the Year.
The following year Bennett led the Cougars to their first Sweet 16 in school history before this year's young and inexperienced club fell back a step to the NIT.
Bennett did not budge last year even when programs like Indiana and LSU came knocking at his door.
So it's understandable to see that the Wazzou faithful are surprised. Bennett endured a tough season this year but right when the younger players began to show signs of life (winning four out of their last five regular season games) he unexpectedly bolts for greener pastures.
It's also understandable to see that the Wahoo faithful are surprised.
I mentioned before that the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.
Dave Leitao was a young and relatively inexperienced coach with two NCAA tournament appearances and a history as a successful recruiting assistant behind a great head coach.
Sound familiar?
Well the Leitao era ended swiftly, but there are reasons to believe this time will be different. Of course, there are reasons to believe it won't too.
So I thought I would play a little good cop/bad cop, since most Virginia fans are doing exactly that this morning.
GOOD COP
Tony Bennett is an emerging coaching talent.
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