Dick Bennett
Dick Bennett | |
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Sport(s) | Basketball |
Biographical details | |
Born |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | April 20, 1943
Playing career | |
1962–1965 | Ripon College |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1976–1985 1985–1995 1995–2001 2003–2006 |
UW-Stevens Point UW-Green Bay Wisconsin Washington State |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships NCAA Regional Championships – Final Four (2000) Mid-Continent Conference Regular Season Championship (1992, 1994) Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985) | |
Awards |
Dick Bennett (born April 20, 1943) is an American college basketball coach who is best known for building the Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball program into a mid-major power and revitalizing the Wisconsin Badgers basketball program. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he is the father of current Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Bennett and current Northern Illinois women's basketball head coach Kathi Bennett.
Coaching career
Bennett had enormous success at each level of collegiate coaching in Wisconsin. In the mid-1970s, he led Eau Claire Memorial High School to the state title game. In the mid-1980s, he led the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to an NAIA title game. In the early 1990s he brought UW–Green Bay to its first three NCAA tournament appearances. And in 2000, after five years in Madison, he took the Badgers to the Final Four.
High school
Prior to collegiate coaching, Bennett was a successful high school coach for eleven years, winning 168 games and leading Eau Claire Memorial to a runner-up finish at the State tournament during the 1975–76 season.[1]
UW–Stevens Point
Bennett began his collegiate coaching career at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point in 1976, where he won 173 games in nine seasons.[2] He was named NAIA Coach of the Year after leading the 1983–84 squad to a 28–4 record and national runner-up finish. That team featured future NBA All-Star Terry Porter and future Saint Louis University head coach Brad Soderberg. In 2009, the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point renamed its basketball court Bennett Court to honor both Dick Bennett and his brother Jack Bennett.
UW–Green Bay
In 1985, Bennett moved to the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. The Phoenix posted a 4–24 record the year before Bennett arrived, but had reached the second round of the NIT tournament by 1990.
Bennett's son Tony became the star of the team during the early 1990s. A guard who played several seasons in the NBA, Tony Bennett led the team to its first NCAA tournament berth in 1991, where the Phoenix lost to Michigan State in the first round. The following year, the UW–GB rolled to a 25–5 and won its first regular season conference title, but lost in the conference tournament. After Tony Bennett's departure in 1992, the 1993–94 team won the conference title and tournament on its way to the NCAA tournament. There, the 12th-seeded Phoenix defeated 5th-seeded California, whose roster included Jason Kidd and Lamond Murray. In Bennett's final year with the Phoenix, his team returned to the NCAA Tournament where they lost to Big Ten champion Purdue.
Wisconsin Badgers
In 1995, Bennett replaced Stan Van Gundy at the University of Wisconsin–Madison as the head coach of the men's basketball team. In Bennett's first year, the Badgers earned a bid in the NIT. A year later, the Badgers notched their first winning record in Big Ten Conference play since 1974, and only their second since 1954. He coached Wisconsin to three NCAA tournament appearances including the Final Four (1999–2000). The Badgers had played in a total of three NCAA tournaments in the 97 years before his arrival. Bennett also coached Wisconsin to its first ever 20-win season in 1998–99. Bennett resigned three games into the 2000–01 season citing burnout – he said he "simply was drained".[3] During his tenure at Wisconsin he was 94–68 (.580) from 1995–2000.
Washington State Cougars
After two years off, Bennett was hired at Washington State University on March 29, 2003.[4] He faced a daunting rebuilding project. Making strong defense a cornerstone, he started building around veterans Thomas Kelati and Jeff Varem and brought in what arguably was the greatest recruiting class in school history in 2004 (Kyle Weaver, Derrick Low, Robbie Cowgill, Chris Henry, Daven Harmeling and Josh Akognon). Bennett stayed three seasons at WSU. The team did not post a winning record, but they did secure wins over teams they traditionally could never beat, UCLA, Arizona and Stanford. Bennett retired following the 2005–06 season and handed the program to his son and associate[5] coach Tony Bennett.[6] Tony proceeded to guide the Cougars to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and a Sweet-16 showing in 2007.[7]
Coaching Awards
1982 Wisconsin State University Conference Coach of the Year
1985 Wisconsin State University Conference Coach of the Year
1985 NAIA District IV Coach of the Year
1985 NAIA Area IV Coach of the Year
1990 Mid-Continent Conference Coach of the Year
1992 Mid-Continent Conference Coach of the Year
1992 NABC District 11 Coach of the Year
1994 Basketball Times Midwest Coach of the Year
1994 NABC District 11 Coach of the Year[8]
2007 Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame[9]
Legacy
Bennett recruited players who were willing to place teamwork and discipline ahead of personal statistics. His players excelled in the classroom as well as on the court. While few NBA players emerged from his programs, most of his players have gone on to success in other careers, including coaching. He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.
Background and family
Bennett went to high school in Clintonville, Wisconsin, and graduated from Ripon College. His son Tony Bennett, previously the head assistant coach, was hired as WSU head coach after his father's retirement. Two years later, he accepted his current position as head coach at the University of Virginia. His daughter Kathi Bennett is currently head women's basketball coach at Northern Illinois and is a former head women's basketball coach at Indiana University. His brother Jack Bennett recently retired as head coach at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point after winning back-to-back Division III national titles in 2004 and 2005. Another brother, Tom Bennett, died of AIDS-related complications at age 38 in January 1996.
Head coaching record
NAIA Division I
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UW–Stevens Point Pointers (Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1976–1985) | |||||||||
1976–1977 | UW–Stevens Point | 9–17 | 4–12 | 9th | |||||
1977–1978 | UW–Stevens Point | 12–14 | 8–8 | T–5th | |||||
1978–1979 | UW–Stevens Point | 14–12 | 9–7 | T–3rd | |||||
1979–1980 | UW–Stevens Point | 18–10 | 13–3 | 2nd | |||||
1980–1981 | UW–Stevens Point | 19–8 | 11–5 | 3rd | |||||
1981–1982 | UW–Stevens Point | 22–6 | 13–3 | T–1st | |||||
1982–1983 | UW–Stevens Point | 26–4 | 15–1 | 1st | NAIA Participant | ||||
1983–1984 | UW–Stevens Point | 28–4 | 14–2 | T–1st | NAIA Runner–up | ||||
1984–1985 | UW–Stevens Point | 25–5 | 14–2 | 1st | NAIA Participant | ||||
UW–Stevens Point: | 173–80 | 101–43 | |||||||
Total: | 173–80 | ||||||||
National champion
Conference regular season champion
Conference tournament champion
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NCAA Division I
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
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UW–Green Bay Phoenix (Mid-Continent Conference) (1985–1994) | |||||||||
1985–1986 | UW–Green Bay | 5–23 | 3–11 | T–7th | |||||
1986–1987 | UW–Green Bay | 15–14 | 8–6 | 4th | |||||
1987–1988 | UW–Green Bay | 18–9 | 9–5 | 3rd | |||||
1988–1989 | UW–Green Bay | 14–14 | 6–6 | 4th | |||||
1989–1990 | UW–Green Bay | 24–8 | 9–3 | 2nd | NIT 2nd Round | ||||
1990–1991 | UW–Green Bay | 24–7 | 13–3 | 2nd | NCAA 1st Round | ||||
1991–1992 | UW–Green Bay | 25–5 | 14–2 | 1st | NIT 1st Round | ||||
1992–1993 | UW–Green Bay | 13–14 | 9–7 | T–4th | |||||
1993–1994 | UW–Green Bay | 27–7 | 15–3 | 1st | NCAA 2nd Round | ||||
UW–Green Bay Phoenix (Midwestern Collegiate Conference) (1994–1995) | |||||||||
1994–1995 | UW–Green Bay | 22–8 | 11–4 | T–2nd | NCAA 1st Round | ||||
UW–Green Bay: | 187–109 | 97–50 | |||||||
Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten Conference) (1995–2001) | |||||||||
1995–1996 | Wisconsin | 17–15 | 7–9 | 8th | NIT 2nd Round | ||||
1996–1997 | Wisconsin | 18–10 | 10–6 | T–4th | NCAA 1st Round | ||||
1997–1998 | Wisconsin | 12–19 | 3–13 | T–9th | |||||
1998–1999 | Wisconsin | 22–10 | 9–7 | T–3rd | NCAA 1st Round | ||||
1999–2000 | Wisconsin | 22–14 | 8–8 | 6th | NCAA Final Four | ||||
2000–2001 | Wisconsin | 2–1 | |||||||
Wisconsin: | 93–69 | 37–43 | |||||||
Washington State Cougars (Pacific-10 Conference) (2003–2006) | |||||||||
2003–2004 | Washington State | 13–16[10] | 7–11[10] | T–7th[11] | |||||
2004–2005 | Washington State | 12–16[12] | 7–11[12] | T–6th[13] | |||||
2005–2006 | Washington State | 11–17[14] | 4–14[14] | 10th[15] | |||||
Washington State: | 36–49 | 18–36 | |||||||
Total: | 316–227 | ||||||||
National champion
Conference regular season champion
Conference tournament champion
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References
- ↑
- ↑ "UW–Stevens Point To Honor Bennetts". Retrieved March 31, 2009.
- ↑ AP (2000-11-30). "Wisconsin's Bennett Steps Down". CBS Sports.
- ↑ Bennett ends retirement, replaces Graham - Men's College Basketball - ESPN
- ↑ Dick Bennett will coach for rest of this season - Men's College Basketball - ESPN
- ↑ Cougars coach to retire; son to succeed him - Men's College Basketball - ESPN
- ↑ AP (2006-02-28). "Bennett: First goal met". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- ↑ Profile at Washington State
- ↑ http://www.badgerstategames.org/hall_fame/members_byyear
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Washington State Cougars Basketball 2003-04 Schedule - Cougars Home and Away - ESPN
- ↑ Pac-12 Conference Standings (2003–04) - College Basketball - ESPN
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Washington State Cougars Basketball 2004-05 Schedule - Cougars Home and Away - ESPN
- ↑ Pac-12 Conference Standings (2004–05) - College Basketball - ESPN
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Washington State Cougars Basketball 2005-06 Schedule - Cougars Home and Away - ESPN
- ↑ Pac-12 Conference Standings (2005–06) - College Basketball - ESPN
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