:David Benedict
{{short description|American college sports administrator}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = David Benedict
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_title = Athletic director
| current_team = UConn
| current_conference = Big East
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Tempe, Arizona, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = Southern Utah University
| admin_years1 = 1996–2006
| admin_team1 = Arizona State University (associate director of development and executive director of the Sun Angels Foundation)
| admin_years2 = 2007–2010
| admin_team2 = Long Beach State (assistant AD)
| admin_years3 = 2010–2012
| admin_team3 = VCU (executive assistant AD, interim AD)
| admin_years4 = 2012–2014
| admin_team4 = Minnesota (deputy AD)
| admin_years5 = 2014–2016
| admin_team5 = Auburn (COO of athletic department)
| admin_years6 = 2016–present
| admin_team6 = UConn
}}
David Benedict is the athletic director at the University of Connecticut. Under his aegis, UConn won consecutive men's NCAA basketball championships in 2023 and 2024, and the women's championship in 2025.
Early life and education
Benedict is a native of Tempe, Arizona.{{Cite web |last=Stanley |first=Logan |title=UConn AD returns to Phoenix area, where he once worked for Arizona State |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/college/2024/04/04/uconn-ad-returns-home-to-the-phoenix-area-for-final-four-week/73198820007/ |access-date=January 8, 2025 |website=The Arizona Republic |language=en-US}} He had his start in sports as a ball boy for Mesa Community College (MCC) football team in Mesa, Arizona, where his father coached. After high school he played center and linebacker at MCC, after his father had left the program. A 1995 graduate of Southern Utah University,{{Cite web |title=Benedict at Hartford Rotary |url=https://portal.clubrunner.ca/6669/stories/david-benedict-uconn-athletic-director-at-hartford-rotary}} he played linebacker on the football team.{{Cite web |last=Cluff |first=Jeremy |title=Arizona State fans push Michael Crow to hire UConn's David Benedict as athletic director |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/college/asu/2024/04/10/arizona-state-fans-hire-uconn-david-benedict-athletic-director/73278644007/#:~:text=He%20played%20football%20at%20Southern,and%20deputy%20AD%20at%20Minnesota. |access-date=January 8, 2025 |website=The Arizona Republic |language=en-US}} He graduated with a degree in physical education, and obtained a master's degree in sports management from New Mexico Highlands in 1996, where he was a graduate assistant football coach.{{Cite web |title=Living His Sports Dream - Hartford Courant |url=https://digitaledition.courant.com/tribune/article_popover.aspx?guid=f1cee99e-85b5-45e1-b383-9ab52e7440f1 |access-date=January 8, 2025 |website=digitaledition.courant.com}}
Sports management career
Benedict got his start in sports management in 1996 at Arizona State University. He was initially hired for only a single task, organizing the event dedicating and naming the football field for former coach Frank Kush. He impressed a top administrator and was offered a position.{{Cite web |title=Living His Sports Dream - Hartford Courant |url=https://digitaledition.courant.com/tribune/article_popover.aspx?guid=f1cee99e-85b5-45e1-b383-9ab52e7440f1 |access-date=January 14, 2025 |website=digitaledition.courant.com}} His first role there was as a "gofer...at the very bottom of the ranks." There until 2006, he advanced to being associate director of development and executive director of the fundraising Sun Angels Foundation. He left ASU to become assistant AD at Long Beach State; this was followed by a short detour into healthcare at Scottsdale Health Foundation. Returning to sports management in 2010, he was associate AD at VCU, overseeing fundraising and "development operations." In 2012 he became interim AD,{{Cite web |date=May 1, 2012 |title=David Benedict named interim AD at VCU |url=https://www.wtvr.com/2012/05/01/david-benedict-named-interim-ad-at-vcu#google_vignette |access-date=January 14, 2025 |website=CBS 6 News Richmond WTVR |language=en}} leading the school's transition from the Colonial League to the Atlantic 10.{{Cite web |title=David Benedict |url=https://lead1association.com/people/david-benedict/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=Lead1 Association |language=en-US}} This was followed by stints of two years each at Auburn University, where he was COO of the athletics department, and University of Minnesota.{{Cite web |date=February 29, 2016 |title=David Benedict Named Director Of Athletics |url=https://uconnhuskies.com/news/2016/2/29/David_Benedict_Named_Director_Of_Athletics.aspx |access-date=January 15, 2025 |website=University of Connecticuy Athletics |language=en}} At Auburn, he was closely involved in interviewing and then hiring Bruce Pearl as basketball coach.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-15 |title=Auburn's Bruce Pearl spent 3-year exile from college hoops working at a grocery distributor – 'I wasn’t sure I’d ever coach again' |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/auburns-bruce-pearl-spent-3-year-exile-from-college-hoops-working-at-a-grocery-distributor-i-wasnt-sure-id-ever-coach-again-215703903.html |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=Yahoo Sports |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Kuttler |first=Hillel |title=Bruce Pearl sees God’s hand in coaching Auburn basketball |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/bruce-pearl-sees-gods-hand-in-coaching-auburn-basketball/ |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=www.timesofisrael.com |language=en-US}}
=AD at UConn=
In 2016 he was appointed AD at UConn; his time there has been "highly successful."
- The men's basketball team won back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2004.{{Cite web |last=Pricco |first=Brendon |date=September 4, 2024 |title=Potential ASU AD candidate is currently in The Valley |url=https://sundevildaily.com/potential-asu-ad-candidate-is-currently-in-the-valley/?form=MG0AV3 |access-date=January 15, 2025 |website=Sun Devil Daily |language=en-US}} Major moves by Benedict helped revitalize the "semi-dormant"{{Cite web |date=April 5, 2024 |title=UConn athletics relishing rebound amid basketball success, facility upgrades |url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2024/04/05/dave-benedict-uconn-final-four |access-date=January 15, 2025 |website=www.sportsbusinessjournal.com |language=en}} basketball program; these included hiring Dan Hurley as coach in 2018 and orchestrating a complicated return to the Big East Conference in 2020.{{Cite web |date=May 15, 2020 |title=UConn's Return To The Big East Already Having A Major Impact On The Program |url=https://www.si.com/college/tmg/tmg-maven/uconn-basketball-back-in-big-east?form=MG0AV3 |access-date=January 15, 2025 |website=TMG Sports |language=en-US}}
- UConn Huskies women's basketball has maintained national prominence,{{Cite web |last=Cilley |first=Hayden |date=April 6, 2024 |title=UConn AD David Benedict embraces hectic schedules for Final Fours |url=https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2024/04/06/connecticut-david-benedict-athletic-director/?form=MG0AV3 |access-date=January 15, 2025 |website=Cronkite News |language=en-US}} and in 2024 he extended coach Auriemma's contract through 2029 providing stability for the program.{{Cite web |last=Weekly |first=UConn WBB |title=Geno Auriemma signs five-year contract extension |url=https://www.uconnwbbweekly.com/p/uconn-huskies-women-s-basketball-geno-auriemma-signs-five-year-contract-extension |access-date=January 15, 2025 |website=UConn WBB Weekly |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=June 5, 2024 |title=UConn signs Geno Auriemma to 5-year, $18.7M contract extension |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/uconn-signs-geno-auriemma-to-5-year-187m-contract-extension-001244334.html#:~:text=jason%20owens,to%20a%201,213-162%20record. |access-date=January 15, 2025 |website=Yahoo Sports |language=en-US}} In 2025 it won the NCAA championship.{{Cite web |date=2025-04-06 |title=Dominant UConn wins, secures 12th national title |url=https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/44562537/uconn-dominates-south-carolina-wins-12th-national-title |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}{{Cite news |title= 'It's ridiculous': UConn AD David Benedict on travel, logistics in NCAA women's basketball tournament|url=https://www.ctinsider.com/sports/uconn-womens-basketball/article/david-benedict-geno-auriemma-ncaa-travel-20252952.php}}
- He hired Jim Mora in 2021, which revitalized the football program.{{Cite web |last=CollegeNetWorth |date=August 16, 2024 |title=Jim L. Mora - UConn Huskies Contract, Net Worth, Coaching Information - CollegeNetWorth.com |url=https://www.collegenetworth.com/jim-l-mora-uconn-huskies/ |access-date=January 15, 2025 |website=www.collegenetworth.com |language=en-US}}
- State of the art facilities for baseball, softball and men's and women's hockey have been built.{{Cite web |date=April 5, 2024 |title=UConn athletics relishing rebound amid basketball success, facility upgrades |url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2024/04/05/dave-benedict-uconn-final-four |access-date=January 15, 2025 |website=www.sportsbusinessjournal.com |language=en}}
- Department budget shortfalls have been wiped out. He negotiated a $96 million 15 year IMG renewal{{Cite web |last=Carp |first=Sam |date=October 18, 2018 |title=UConn inks US$96m IMG renewal |url=https://www.sportspro.com/news/uconn-huskies-img-deal-renewal/ |access-date=January 15, 2025 |website=SportsPro |language=en-GB}} and multi-year extensions with Nike{{Cite web |last=Carp |first=Sam |date=July 27, 2017 |title=UConn ticks off mega Nike renewal |url=https://www.sportspro.com/sponsorship-marketing/sponsorship/uconn-ticks-off-mega-nike-renewal/ |access-date=January 15, 2025 |website=SportsPro |language=en-GB}} through the 2028–2029 academic year.{{Cite web |title=David Benedict - Director of Athletics - Staff Directory |url=https://uconnhuskies.com/staff-directory/david-benedict/167?form=MG0AV3 |access-date=January 15, 2025 |website=University of Connecticut Athletics |language=en}}
- There is a "dramatically upgraded" student-athlete center. This 80,000 square foot renovation was largely funded by Trisha Bailey, a 1999 UConn graduate.{{Cite web |title=New Student-Athlete Center Funded by Historic Gift to UConn Athletics : CEG |url=https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/new-student-athlete-center-funded-by-historic-gift-to-uconn-athletics/58408 |access-date=January 15, 2025 |website=www.constructionequipmentguide.com |language=en}} It will service UConn's 600 student-athletes and be home for six Olympic sports, five of which are women's programs.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-17 |title=UConn Alum Pledges Record Donation For Field House Transformation |url=https://patch.com/connecticut/mansfield/uconn-alum-pledges-record-donation-field-house-transformation |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=Mansfield-Storrs, CT Patch |language=en}}
- Benedict has "embraced" the NIL program in support of its student-athletes.{{Cite web |title=Championship Labs {{!}} Uconn NIL Initiative {{!}} Connecticut |url=https://www.championshiplabs.com/ |access-date=2025-01-18 |website=Championship Labs |language=en}} UConn's use of NIL has had a positive impact on the men's basketball program.{{Cite web |last=CollegeNetWorth |date=2024-06-15 |title=NIL and Transfer Portal Impact on UConn Men's Basketball: Shaping the Roster and Future Success - CollegeNetWorth.com |url=https://www.collegenetworth.com/nil-and-transfer-portal-impact-on-uconn-mens-basketball/ |access-date=2025-01-18 |website=www.collegenetworth.com |language=en-US}}
Personal
His wife, Lisa, was a two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American gymnast at ASU; they have twin sons. His father, Allen, played football under Frank Kush at ASU and was a longtime football coach at Tempe High School and Mesa Community College before he got into athletic administration.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://uconnhuskies.com/staff-directory/david-benedict/167 UConn profile]
{{UConn Huskies athletic director navbox}}
{{Big East Conference athletic director navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benedict, David}}
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Category:UConn Huskies athletic directors
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