University of Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett, who led the Cavaliers to the 2019 national championship, is retiring, the school confirmed Thursday. Bennett will formally announce his retirement at a news conference Friday morning, the school said.

Bennett accepted the UVa job prior to the 2009-10 season following a three-year stint at Washington State. Overall, he amassed a career record of 433-169, including a 364-136 mark with the Cavaliers, and was named national coach of the year three times.

His national title squad earned a huge measure of redemption after becoming the first No. 1 regional seed to lose to a No. 16, Maryland-Baltimore County, in the opening round the previous year.

The announcement less than three weeks prior to the start of the new season comes as a surprise and one week after he appeared at ACC media day. The Cavaliers ended last year in the NCAA tournament but lost to Colorado State in a lackluster showing in the First Four.

Bennett then signed an offer sheet in June that extended his deal with the school for four years through 2030 and kept his compensation at more than $4 million per year .