CHARLOTTESVILLE — Tony Bennett doesn’t have a Twitter account and he doesn’t do local media interviews in the offseason. The national championship-winning coach hasn’t said much publicly since the cancellation of this past basketball season.
Sunday, however, as tensions heightened and protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minnesota grew increasingly violent and destructive, Bennett released a statement on the situation in the country.
“Words cannot adequately capture the pain and sadness we are witnessing due to all of the social injustice that so many people of color have faced for so long,” Bennett’s statement read in part. “My mind and heart are telling me that as a white man, talk is cheap.”
From Alabama’s Nick Saban to Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, college coaches across the nation have reacted to the death of Floyd, an African-American man who was in the custody of police. It is the latest officer-involved death of an African-American male and has sparked protests all over the United States.
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That includes in Charlottesville, where Bennett coaches, and in Richmond, where VCU’s Mike Rhoades put out this statement:
“We need to fight hate [and] inequality in this country,” Rhoades’ statement reads. “My team [and] I will help [and] push all to succeed [and] live respectfully together. VCU is a great place for diversity [and] we take pride in showing the world our success. Let’s teach [and] challenge everyone that our love, respect [and] care can inspire all.”
Bennett’s football counterpart at UVA, Bronco Mendenhall, said he was moved and pained by the video showing Minnesota police kneeling on Floyd as he pleads with them, insisting he can’t breathe. Mendenhall also referenced the recent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, a young African-American man shot to death while jogging in Georgia, and Breonna Taylor, an African-American woman killed by police in Louisville.
“I was horrified and deeply saddened by the footage of the last moments in George Floyd’s life,” Mendenhall’s statement read in part. “Like many before him, Mr. Floyd’s death was the preventable product of a system that too often treats Black Americans as targets for suspicion, oppression and violence.”
Virginia Tech’s football program put out a joint statement Sunday it said spoke for coaches and players.
“Earlier today, we conducted a team meeting on Zoom to discuss the pain that hate, racism and violence continue to cause in our nation, and specifically, the heartbreaking images of George Floyd taking his final breaths before his senseless death. All members of the Virginia Tech football program remain firmly committed to being part of the solution to these issues. As a team, we vow to uphold principles of unity, inclusion and social justice. While we as coaches, players and staff members come from many diverse backgrounds, we stand together as Hokies to serve as an example of how we can all work and live together in harmony.”
Monday, Tech basketball coach Mike Young released his statement.
“We are deeply saddened by the unnecessary act of violence that led to the senseless death of George Floyd,” Young’s statement read. “As our coaches, players and staff struggle to make sense of this overt, violent, act of hate — we stand together and recognize that our platform can be used to help heal the pain felt by so many. Silence isn’t the answer to acts of social injustice, we can only create change through acts of love, kindness, compassion, fairness and equality and need to let go of judgement, criticism, anger and hate. As Hokies, we stand united and empower change.”
While most coaches responded with polished, carefully worded statements, others and many athletes, posted more spontaneous, emotional reactions.
Monday morning, William & Mary football coach Mike London, a former Richmond police officer, posted a video of himself urging the nation to “wake up.” He praised peaceful protests as a vehicle for change.
“You can’t defend the actions of that police officer and those officers that were there. You can’t defend it,” London said. “You can’t defend the actions of people going around burning and looting out business. Those businesses were started with the blood, sweat and tears of people that had a dream to make something happen for them in their lives and their families.”
Virginia Tech senior basketball player Wabissa Bede said “it’s time to use my platform as an African-American student athlete.”
“My heart cries out at the loss of a life,” Bede posted on social media. “… People are losing their loved ones for no reason. This has to end.”
Former Virginia basketball star Kyle Guy, now with the Sacramento Kings, posted a video in which he said it’s important for people of all races to recognize the current threat to the African-American community.
“I understand that as a white male in society, I was given opportunities, passes and favors that most people do not get,” Guy said in his video. “I want everyone to know that I know I’m not black, but I’m going to stand up with the black community. I’m going to fight for the black community, and I’m going to speak up with and for the black community.”