Lakers Hire NCAA Champion Coach As NBA Draft Analyst Amid New Ownership

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In another change under new owner Mark Walter, the Lakers have hired ex-college national champion coach Tony Bennett as an NBA Draft Analyst.

The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of major changes as ownership shifts from the Buss family to Mark Walter, the current owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

While the Lakers have already seen a few internal shifts as it relates to management positions, and recently announced they will keep Rob Pelinka on as general manager, the team has now made a new massive hire.

The Lakers are now hiring former NCAA champion and ex-University of Virginia basketball head coach Tony Bennett as an NBA Draft analyst, the team announced on Wednesday. 

“We’re thrilled and honored to welcome Tony as an advisor to the Lakers basketball operations department,” Pelinka said in a statement.  “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. 

Bennett spent 15 seasons coaching at Virginia, winning a national title in 2019. He has more than two decades of coaching experience in the college ranks and had a brief stint as a player in the mid-1990s.

Lakers Hire Tony Bennett As NBA Draft Analyst

Bennett retired from coaching in 2024 after a strong run with the Virginia Cavaliers. After a short time away from basketball, he is now joining the Lakers, set to work with Pelinka on the team’s draft over the next few years. 

“Tony’s track record of forming culture, with high-character, high-skill and high-IQ players is revered and respected across all basketball circles,” Pelinka said. “Tony will be an incredible asset to our basketball leadership, to our scouts and to our draft department as a whole. We are truly excited.”

Bennett has won the national college coach of the year award three separate times and is known as one of the top coaches in the collegiate ranks. While the hire is somewhat surprising considering the lack of buzz before it was announced, the ex-coach said his conversations with Pelinka, as well as the Lakers’ storied history, made it easy for him to take the new job.

“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.”

Some of the players Bennett coached at Virginia include Malcolm Brogdon, Joe Harris, De’Andre Hunter, Trey Murphy III, and Ty Jerome, with a total of 13 players being drafted during his 15 years at the ACC school. He led the Cavaliers to a 64-136 (.728) record, while going 189-82 (.697) in conference play.

Bennett is expected to be a key piece in the Lakers’ draft strategy, starting this summer as they look to retool around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. 

Lakers Made Rob Pelinka Decision

As Los Angeles has announced the hire of Bennett, the team made another decision as it relates to the future of Pelinka with the franchise.

In a decision made by the new president of business operations, Lon Rosen, he announced that the Lakers plan on keeping Pelinka in his role leading basketball operations. 

“Rob’s empowered to do what he does. He’s talked about it, and I can talk about it,” Rosen said, per Dan Woike of The Athletic. “I have a really good relationship with Rob. I’ve known Rob Pelinka from when he was representing Kobe.”

All the recent changes involving the Lakers’ internal staff stem from the confirmation of Walter’s purchase of the franchise from the Buss Family Trust. But while the full shift into new ownership is expected to take a few seasons, Pelinka said he will continue to work with both Walter and Buss on key decisions for the team.

GettyDALLAS, TEXAS – APRIL 09: General Manager Rob Pelinka of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on April 09, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

“The three of us are working really, really strongly and well together,” Pelinka said. “It’s been tremendous working with Mark and everybody around him.”

While LeBron James looks to be on his way out this summer, with the changing ownership, the Lakers are entering a new era, one led by Doncic and Reaves off the court, and Walter and his group off the court. 

Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski