Dear Tony,

First, let me thank you for being, in my opinion, the best basketball coach and member of our community that UVA has ever been fortunate enough to have. You have given our team and our school a humble leader during wins, a steady ground during losses, and a source of inspiration and admiration for players, students, and fans across the country.

In terms of basketball, you are able to run your team like a flawless machine, something many coaches are never able to do. You know your players; you know their strengths and who they work best with, and you are able to create an efficient rhythm on the court that allows the team not just to sink those beautiful three-pointers, but help build their skills and shape them into both better athletes and people. Your coaching ability has garnered national attention and allowed us to advance to the Elite Eight this season, an accomplishment which UVA has not seen in over 20 years.

In terms of your résumé, your celebrity status is yet another gift you’ve given us. I mean, you’re Tony Bennett. The Tony Bennett. The impossibly attractive 40-something-year-old with multiple awards from the NCAA and countless accomplishments from your own basketball career in college and the NBA. The one our idols Anthony Gill and Malcolm Brogdon respect most. Who else has both the ACC Coach of the Year title and the two cutest children in the world? You have the perfect record, perfect family, and perfect persona that everyone can’t help but fall in love with.

But to me, the most valuable contribution you have brought to our beloved basketball program is your character. You are one of the few coaches who is always able to remain calm, modest, and collected, even during unexpected victories and devastating losses. You are graceful in the face of defeat, composed in times of stress and anxious anticipation, and always sincere and committed to your job. Your speech after our last game against Syracuse reaffirmed the dignity and honor that our university stands for, and demonstrated to the entire nation your devotion to and pride for your team.

So thank you, Tony, for changing our school for the better. Your contributions to UVA extend far beyond the basketball court at JPJ – you’ve given us a leader to rally behind, respectable qualities to admire and show off to the rest of the country, and a reason to look forward to our next season. You are, and will always be, an unforgettable piece of my college experience that I will hold with me long after graduation.

Thank you for being a Wahoo with us.