Tony Bennett Named 2018 AP Men's Basketball Coach of the Year

A historic season has earned Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Bennett the Associated Press men's college basketball coach of the year award for the second time in his career.

In 2017-18, Bennett led Virginia to a program-record 31 victories on its way to a regular-season ACC title, the conference tournament championship and the No. 1 overall seed in the 2018 NCAA tournament. His Cavaliers also became the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed, suffering an upset defeat to the UMBC Retrievers, 74-54, in the first round.

Voting took place before the NCAA tournament, and Bennett received 50 of 65 votes for the award from AP Top 25 writers.

Under Bennett, Virginia has become a perennial contender. It has won 29-plus games in four of the past five seasons, winning three conference titles during that span and earning three No. 1 seeds in the Big Dance. The program qualified for the NCAA tournament just twice in the 12 years before hiring Bennett in 2009.

While the Cavaliers have yet to get over the hump and reach the Final Four under Bennett, this season looked like it was going to be different. The 48-year-old coach led his squad to a 31-2 record before the NCAA tournament, including a remarkable 17-1 run in ACC regular-season play. That loss came by a single point to rival Virginia Tech in February.

Of course, this year's Virginia team will be remembered as the first (and as of now, only) No. 1 seed to lose to a 16th seed. But that stunning defeat doesn't take away from everything Bennett and Co. accomplished this season.

"They experienced things a lot of guys don't," Bennett told Aaron Beard of the AP. "That kind of success? Oh my gosh. And then that kind of loss? ... But again, their body of work deserves to be celebrated."

The season didn't end the way the Cavaliers wanted, but this award recognizes the fantastic season that took place in Charlottesville.

Bennett also won the award in 2007 while coaching the Washington State Cougars.