Eddie Benton, Jr. (born February 16, 1975) is an American college women's basketball coach, currently serving as an assistant coach for the Robert Morris women's basketball team. He is best known for his collegiate playing career at the University of Vermont between 1992 and 1996. In his senior season he was named the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award winner, given annually to the best college senior player in the country who is or shorter. Benton then had a short-lived professional career before becoming a college coach.

Playing career

High school

Benton, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native, attended Perry Traditional Academy from 1988 to 1992. He was the team's sixth man during his sophomore and junior seasons before becoming the starting point guard as a senior in 1991–92.

College

Benton continued his basketball career at the University of Vermont; he went on to have the most decorated career in Vermont's program's history during his tenure. He scored a still-standing school record 2,474 points, including a record 54-point game against Drexel on January 29, 1994. His point total was the second-highest in America East Conference history, and for his career he averaged 23.8 points per game. In three of his four seasons, Benton finished in the top 12 nationally. He was named a First Team All-America East Conference performer in all four seasons, becoming just the third player in conference history to achieve that. At the time of Benton's graduation in 1996, he held 15 different offensive category school records, including career field goals, free throws, three-pointers and scoring average. He stayed with them for three seasons before accepting an assistant coach position at Mississippi State to work under head coach Nikki McCray.

In 2022, Benton became the head girls basketball coach at Oakland Catholic High School in his hometown of Pittsburgh.

On April 8, 2024, he was named an assistant coach for the Robert Morris women's basketball team, marking his return to the school, having been an assistant coach for the school's men's basketball team from 2001–2004.

See also

  • List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career free throw scoring leaders

References

  • Mississippi State bio