Tag: Virginia

4 replacements for Tony Bennett after the Virginia head coach unexpectedly retired

After the shocking retirement, here are some possible replacements for Tony Bennett.

Virginia men’s basketball head coach Tony Bennett is expected to retire.

This is unexpected news for the program, especially occurring so close to the start of the upcoming season. There is still a lot to learn about this decision, and fans will likely get more details at Bennett’s press conference on Friday morning.

But no matter the reason, Virginia still needs a head coach on the sidelines for the 2024-25 campaign. One would assume that the hire would come from their internal staff based on familiarity with the roster and system, so here are a few names they will likely consider.

One of these names will likely become the interim head coach. Then after the season, depending on how it goes, perhaps they get promoted to have the gig on a full-time level.

Ron Sanchez

Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

Current:

Associate head coach, Virginia (2023 – Present)

Past: 

Head coach, Charlotte (2018 – 2023)

Assistant coach, Virginia (2009 – 2018)

Assistant coach, Washington State (2003 – 2009)

Assistant coach, Indiana (2001 – 2003)

Assistant coach, SUNY Delhi (1999 – 2001)

Assistant coach, SUNY Oneonta (1996 – 1999)

Jason Williford

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Current:

Associate head coach, Virginia

Past: 

Assistant head coach, Virginia

Assistant coach, American University

Assistant coach, Boston University

Assistant coach, John Marshall High School

Professional basketball player

UVA collegiate basketball player and captain

Brad Soderberg

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Current: 

Scouting, Virginia (2021 – Present)

Past: 

Assistant coach, Virginia (2015 – 2021)

Head coach, Lindenwood (2009 – 2015)

Head coach, Saint Louis (2002 – 2007)

Assistant coach, Saint Louis (2001 – 2002)

Interim coach, Wisconsin (2000 – 2001)

Assistant coach, Wisconsin (1995 – 2000)

Head coach, South Dakota State (1993 – 1995)

Head coach, Loras (1988 – 1993)

Assistant coach, Loras (1987 – 1988)

Assistant coach, Fort Hays State (1986 – 1987)

Graduate assistant, Colorado State (1985 – 1986)

Assistant coach, Wisconsin–Stevens Point (1984-1985)

Ritchie McKay

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Current: 

Head coach, Liberty (2015 – Present)

Past: 

Associate head coach, Virginia (2009 – 2015)

Head coach, Liberty (2007 – 2009)

Head coach, New Mexico (2002 – 2007)

Head coach, Oregon State (2000 – 2002)

Head coach, Colorado State (1998 – 2000)

Head coach, Portland State (1996 – 1998)

Assistant coach, Washington (1993 – 1995)

Assistant coach, Bradley (1991 – 1993)

Assistant coach, Seattle Pacific (1990 – 1991)

Assistant coach, Queens (1989 – 1990)

Assistant coach, Washington (1988 – 1989)

Player, Seattle Pacific (1983 – 1987)

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=462925]

Washington-Washington State is most overrated Rivalry Week game

Skip this one at the end of November.

There surely are people in the Evergreen State who greatly look forward to Washington and Washington State battling it out every year. One can’t blame them with state pride on the line.

In spite of that, we’re here to tell you that when Rivalry Week wraps up the regular season, you’re better off watching another game. This game doesn’t deserve the hype it gets, especially with the Huskies fresh off coming within a game of a national championship and the Cougars going nowhere fast.

Of all the Power Five games that have been played consistently during Rivalry Week over the past decade or so, this is one of only two in which a team has won nine of the past 10 meetings. The Huskies are beneficiaries of that. The other features Virginia Tech’s dominance of Virginia.

One reason the game in the Pacific Northwest wins this regrettable battle is because the Cougars have achieved national rankings far more frequently than the Cavaliers. That being the case, it’s almost a given these days that the Hokies will beat the Cavaliers. One would expect in some years for the Cougars to beat the Huskies, but it’s just not happening.

Another reason is when the Huskies beat the Cougars, they typically dominate. That wasn’t the case in 2023 as the Huskies won by only three points, but it was their first single-digit win over the Cougars since 2010. The Cavaliers, by contrast, have lost to the Hokies by single digits four times during the same stretch.

So again, don’t waste your time watching this game between the two major Washington schools. Choose from one of the many others instead.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

The best public-access and private golf courses in Virginia, ranked

Our hundreds of raters weigh in on the best public-access and private courses in Virginia.

Looking to play the best golf courses in Virginia? Welcome to our annual Golfweek’s Best ranking of public-access and private courses.

Following are the rankings for both types of courses, as judged by our nationwide network of raters. The hundreds of members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them on 10 criteria on a points basis of 1 through 10. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce all our Golfweek’s Best course rankings.

The courses on the first list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time – no membership required.

KEY: (m) modern, built in 1960 or after; (c) classic, built before 1960. For courses with a number preceding the (m) or (c), that is where the course ranks on Golfweek’s Best lists for top 200 modern and classic courses in the U.S.

* indicates new or returning to the rankings

Best public-access courses in Virginia

Omni Homestead Resort’s Cascades Course (Courtesy of Omni Homestead Resort)

1. Primland (Highland)
Meadows of Dan (T92m)

2. Omni Homestead Resort (Cascades)
Hot Springs (T98c)

3. Golden Horseshoe (Gold)
Williamsburg (T190m)
Book your tee time at Golden Horseshoe today

4. Keswick Hall and GC (Full Cry)
Keswick (m)

5. Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech
Radford (m)

T6. Boar’s Head Resort (Birdwood)
Charlottesville (m)

T6. Kingsmill Resort (River)
Williamsburg (m)

8. Spring Creek
Zion Crossroads (m)

9. Royal New Kent
Providence Forge (m)
Book your tee time at  Royal New Kent today

10. The Club at Viniterra
New Kent (m)
Book your tee time at Viniterra today

11. Omni Homestead Resort (Old)
Hot Springs (c)

12. Laurel Hill
Lorton (m)
Book your tee time at  Laurel Hill today

13. Golden Horseshoe (Green)*
Williamsburg (m)
Book your tee time at Golden Horseshoe today

14. Potomac Shores Golf Club*
Potomac Shores (m)
Book your tee time at Potomac Shores today

15. Stonehouse*
Toano (m)
Book your tee time at Stonehouse today

Best private courses in Virginia

Kinloch Golf Club in Virginia (Copyright USGA/Russell Kirk)

1. Kinloch
Richmond (28m)

2. Robert Trent Jones GC
Lake Manassas (44m)

3. Olde Farm
Bristol (T86m)

4. Bayville GC
Virginia Beach (m)

5. Trump National Washington D.C. (Championship)
Potomac Falls (m)

6. CC of Virginia (James River)
Richmond (c)

7. River Bend
Great Falls (m)

8. Governor’s Land at Two Rivers
Williamsburg (m)

9. Creighton Farms
Aldie (m)

10. Cutalong
Mineral (m)

Report: Warriors agree to two-way NBA deal with Virginia’s Reece Beekman

The two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year averaged 14.3 points on 44.3% shooting from the field last season at Virginia.

After drafting Boston Colleges’s Quinten Post in the second round on Thursday with their only pick in the 2024 edition of the NBA, the Golden State Warriors quickly got down to business with undrafted free agents.

Following the draft, the Warriors reportedly added a player to a two-way contract. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Virginia guard Reexe Beekman agreed to a two-way NBA contract with Golden State.

Via @ShamsCharania on Twitter:

Beekman played four seasons under Tony Bennett at Virginia, earning All-ACC honors twice and ACC All-Defensive team honors three times. On a team known for their defense that included Phoenix Suns first-rounder Ryan Dunn, Beekman was selected as the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024.

The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 14.3 points on 44.3% shooting from the field and 31% from deep to go along with 6.2 assists, 3.6 rebounds and two steals in 32.8 minutes per game for Virginia last season.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Negotiations for Commanders’ potential return to D.C. remain stuck

There has been progress in the talks between the Wetzel family and the Commanders.

Earlier this year, there was excitement about the Washington Commanders and a potential return to the nation’s capital. The House of Representatives passed a bill granting the District a 99-year lease for the land where RFK Stadium sits.

The bill followed the recent goodwill between the organization and the city, which began when new owner Josh Harris purchased the team from Daniel Snyder last summer. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser went on record multiple times stating that the Commanders’ next stadium should be in D.C.

Harris and the team have options. Maryland — where the team currently plays its home games — wants to keep the team. In Virginia, where the team’s headquarters is located, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said the state is a “great place” for a new Commanders stadium.

While the Commanders haven’t tipped their hand on where they want to build a new stadium, the District would appear to be the preferred choice. Harris and minority owners Mitch Rales and Mark Ein all grew up in the Washington area, going to games at RFK Stadium as kids.

So, if the House approved this with rare bipartisan support, why isn’t this moving along?

As of now, it remains stuck in the Senate. Montana Sen. Steve Daines, the ranking member of the National Parks Subcommittee, has said he will continue to hold up the bill unless the Commanders find a way to honor the legacy of Walter “Blackie” Wetzel, who created the logo for the team’s former name that was retired in 2020.

According to A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports, Daines, the Commanders and the Wetzel family are continuing to work out a deal. Daines represents Montana, where the Wetzel family is from, and the Blackfeet tribe he was a member of is also based in Montana.

“We have been very pleased with the conversations we’ve had with the Commanders,” Ryan Wetzel, grandson of the late Wetzel, told Perez and Front Office Sports. “The three of us — meaning the Commanders, Daines’s office, and the Wetzel family — have made headway, and some steps being made that will please the D.C. community and the fan base.”

In his latest report on the story, Perez noted that one Senate aide said the bill is “unlikely to see any more action until after Thanksgiving.”

That’s good and bad. The Commanders have no known timeframe to make a deal, though the lease at Commanders Field is set to expire in 2027. The quicker this is resolved, the sooner Harris and his group can begin making plans for the team’s new home. The extra time also gives all three sides more chances to strike a deal in which everyone feels like they win.

That’s rare — almost as rare as any bill finding bipartisan support at all levels of the government.

Wetzel’s grandson made it clear that it’s not about the name; it’s about the logo his grandfather created, which was a “profile of pride for Native American communities.”

Poll indicates D.C. is most popular pick for new Commanders stadium

A new poll indicates fans want Commanders’ new stadium in D.C.

If you’re a fan of the Washington NFL franchise and were alive in the 1980s and early 1990s, there was no greater sight than the bleachers at a home game at RFK Stadium.

During some of the biggest games in franchise history, the stadium shook.

The team moved to FedEx Field in suburban Maryland in 1997, and the franchise hasn’t had a home-field advantage since.

Former owner Dan Snyder had been trying to build a new stadium for years. However, no one in D.C. would consider helping Snyder. That changed when he sold the team to Josh Harris and his partners last summer.

Now, the Commanders have three localities vying to be Washington’s new home: D.C. (at the RFK site), Maryland and Virginia. Some fans, including younger fans or those living outside of the DMV, aren’t as invested in where the new stadium will be. They’re more focused on just seeing a winning team.

However, according to a new poll from The Washington Post, Washington-area residents want the Commanders back in the District.

Here’s a screenshot of the Post’s poll results:

According to the poll, 51% of Washington-area residents believe the stadium should be in Washington, 17% in Maryland and 15% in Virginia. The rest had no preference.

Among Commanders fans, 63% want the stadium in Washington.

The Commanders are obligated to play at the current stadium until 2027 but can stay longer. There has been good news regarding the RFK site recently, as the D.C. RFK Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act passed through the House in February. The next step is the United States Senate, but one Senator has said he will oppose the bill unless the Commanders honor the team’s former logo.

Regardless of what happens over the next few months, the people have spoken: They want the team to return to D.C. and it certainly appears as if Harris and his partners want the stadium in the District, too.

Former Notre Dame receiver Chris Tyree returns for commencement

Congrats to Chris!

Notre Dame fans might remember [autotag]Chris Tyree[/autotag], the former running back who became the Irish’s leading receiver in 2023. Some may have forgotten that after the regular season, he transferred to Virginia to use up his college football eligibility. But that doesn’t mean he’s forgotten where he spent his undergrad years.

Sunday was Notre Dame’s annual commencement ceremony, and Tyree had no intention of missing it. If you don’t believe that, read what his father posted on social media:

In four seasons with the Irish, Tyree accumulated 1,161 rushing yards, 945 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns from scrimmage. He also scored two touchdowns on special teams. This is why he surely will be emotional when he returns to Notre Dame Stadium on Nov. 16 when the Cavaliers face the Irish there, and it will be interesting to see what if any type of reception he gets from the fans.

In the meantime, congratulations to Chris, and best of luck in pursuing his master’s at Virginia.

[lawrence-related id=79645,78394,76622]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Lady Vols shut out Virginia to win Knoxville Regional

Tennessee shuts out Virginia softball to win the Knoxville Regional.

No. 3 overall seed Tennessee (43-10, 19-5 SEC) defeated Virginia (34-20, 15-9 ACC), 6-0, to win the NCAA Tournament Knoxville Regional on Sunday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

The victory over the Cavaliers clinched the Lady Vols’ 13th appearance in the NCAA Tournament Super Regional.

The Lady Vols will host No. 14 overall seed Alabama in next week’s best-of-three Knoxville Super Regional.

Rylie West went 3-for-4 for Tennessee on Sunday She recorded one solo home run, one double, three runs and five RBIs.

Karlyn Pickens (21-6) pitched seven innings against the Cavaliers. She allowed two hits and one walk, while recording seven strikeouts. Pickens recorded 74 pitches, including 50 strikes.

Randy Sartin/USA TODAY Network

Lady Vols earn No. 3 national seed in NCAA Tournament

Tennessee softball will open NCAA Tournament play against Dayton in the Knoxville Regional.

Tennessee (40-10, 19-5 SEC) will host the Knoxville regional in the 2024 NCAA softball tournament.

The Knoxville regional will be contested in a double-elimination format May 17-19 at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. The winner advances to the super regionals, which are best-of-3 series hosted by the higher-seeded team.

The Lady Vols earned the No. 3 national seed in the tournament.

Tennessee will open tournament play against Dayton (33-19, 19-7 Atlantic 10). First pitch between Tennessee and the Flyers is 2:30 p.m. EDT and can be watched on ESPN+.

Friday’s other opening-round game in the regional pits Miami University (48-7, 26-1 Mid-American Conference) against Virginia (32-18. 15-9 ACC). First pitch is noon EDT (ESPN+).

No. 1 Notre Dame Dominates No. 5 Virginia, Heads to ACC Championship

Total domination!

It was over before the fans could even get comfortable in their seats Friday as the top-ranked Notre Dame lacrosse team dominated No. 5 Virginia in the ACC Tournament semi-finals.

In the 18-9 win, 14 different Notre Dame players scored goals.

Notre Dame started fast with a 6-1 first quarter lead and stretched the lead to 10-3 by the end of the first half.

Notre Dame’s foot remained in the gas out of the break, extending the lead to 14-4 in the third quarter.  That lead would stretch as the way to 17-5 at one point before Virginia scored a few goals late against the deeper part of Notre Dame’s bench.

Notre Dame heads to the ACC Championship game for the fourth-straight time where they’ll play Duke for the conference title.