After watching a touching video tribute and a banner raised in his honor, Tony Bennett took to the microphone and quipped, “You sure know how to make a guy look good in front of his parents.”
Bennett’s parents, Dick and Anne, were among the sold-out crowd at John Paul Jones Arena on Saturday night to witness a celebration of a University of Virginia icon, who retired from coaching in October after 15 seasons leading the Cavaliers.
Bennett, UVA’s all-time winningest men’s basketball coach, was honored during halftime of the Cavaliers’ 75-61 win over Georgia Tech. It was a special evening filled with appearances from prominent former players, a declaration of “Tony Bennett Day” in the state of Virginia and even playing time for Bennett’s son, Eli, a member of the current Wahoos.
Check out UVA’s photo coverage from a memorable couple of hours in JPJ.