Sam Hauser Gets Real on Former College Coach's Retirement

Hauser wasn't surprised by Tony Bennett's announcement.

Oct 13, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser (30) shoots the ball during the first half against the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

University of Virginia Coach Tony Bennett announced his retirement on October 17. Sam Hauser, who played for Bennett his senior year of college, gave his honest thoughts on his former coach retiring.

"I had a feeling it was coming," Hauser told reporters on October 18. "I didn't expect it to happen right now, but I know he had been thinking about it for probably a decent amount of time."

Hauser went on to praise his coach for his impact on him and Virginia's college basketball program.

"He had a great career. He put Virginia on the map in terms of basketball, and I'm forever grateful to play for him."

“I had a feeling it was coming.”

Former Virginia Cavalier Sam Hauser shares his reaction to Tony Bennett announcing his retirement. pic.twitter.com/OdvJHzkGW9

— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) October 18, 2024

Hauser played for Virginia for one season - 2020-21 - though he was involved in their program for two years, as he redshirted the previous season following three years at Marquette. Hauser led the ACC in three-point shooting percentage that year, shooting 41.7% from distance. He also averaged his highest point average in college with the Cavaliers, averaging 16 points a game.

During his lone season at Virginia, Hauser and the Cavaliers snagged a No. 4 seed for the NCAA tournament, but they were ousted in the first round by Ohio University. Hauser then declared for the NBA Draft, where he would then start his career with the Celtics the following NBA season.

Besides Hauser, multiple current NBA players played under Bennett during his time as coach, including Celtics alum Malcolm Brogdon, De'Andre Hunter, and Trey Murphy III. Hauser played with Murphy during his lone season in Virginia.