Lakers Bring In Former Virginia Coach Tony Bennett As Draft Advisor
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The Los Angeles Lakers have hired former University of Virginia head coach Tony Bennett to serve as an NBA Draft advisor to general manager Rob Pelinka, the team confirmed on Tuesday.
Pelinka said Bennett’s role will focus on refining the club’s scouting and draft preparation. “As we refine and build out our NBA draft and scouting processes, we could think of no better basketball mind than Tony Bennett to have as a resource,” Pelinka noted, praising Bennett’s history of developing “high-character, high-skill and high-IQ players.”
Bennett, 54, led Virginia to the 2019 national championship and earned three National Coach of the Year awards during his 18 collegiate seasons at Virginia and Washington State. His career record of .719 is the best in Cavaliers history, and he is one of only three coaches—alongside Mike Krzyzewski and Dean Smith—to be named ACC Coach of the Year four times.
“When Rob and I began talking, what stood out to me was the chance to help out such a storied organization,” Bennett said. “The Lakers carry a tradition that speaks for itself, so to be connected to it and assist Rob and the Lakers in any way I can is exciting.”
Over his college tenure, Bennett coached 13 future NBA Draft picks, including Klay Thompson, DeAndre Hunter and Malcolm Brogdon. Before entering coaching, he was selected 35th overall in the 1992 NBA Draft and played four seasons in the league, three of them with the Charlotte Hornets.
The move comes as new controlling owner Mark Walter oversees broader front-office changes. The Lakers recently added longtime sports executive Lon Rosen as President of Business Operations; Rosen said franchise legend Magic Johnson will remain around the team but without day-to-day duties.
Source: Lakers Nation
