Kentucky’s Mark Pope on Tony Bennett’s Retirement: ‘He is One of the Iconic Figures in College Basketball’ [Video]

The college basketball world was shaken on Thursday with news that Virginia head coach Tony Bennett would be retiring, effective immediately. Bennett confirmed the news on Friday with a press conference, detailing his reasons for the move.

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope was asked about his reaction to the news of Bennett’s retiring shortly after UK’s Blue-White event on Friday. But first, Pope was asked if he was considering retirement himself.

“Nope. This is as good as it gets,” Pope said.

Pope went on to share his praise for the job Bennett did at Virginia. He said he’s gotten the chance to know Bennett on both a “personal and public level.”

“He is one of the great ambassadors for this game that the game has ever known,” Pope said. “I’m not being hyperbolic right now. He is an extraordinary human being. He has been an incredible leader.”

By now, you probably know the story. Tony Bennett’s 2018 Virginia …