Courtesy: University of Chicago Athletics
CHICAGO – University of Chicago Head Swimming Coach Jason Weber announced the hiring of Becky Benson as Head Diving Coach and Assistant Director of Aquatics.
“I’m ecstatic to add Becky to our staff as our new Diving Coach and Assistant Aquatics Director,” Weber said. “I know our divers as well as our swimmers will benefit greatly from Becky’s guidance and knowledge and her 25 years of experience as a collegiate diver, head coach, and life coach. Becky is the most accomplished diving coach we’ve had on our staff and I know her experience and energy will help take our diving program to the next level and cement itself as the top program in all of Division III.”
Benson spent nine years as Head Diving Coach at James Madison University from 2007 to 2016. Her JMU divers racked up impressive accomplishments in that time, including:
- 2 NCAA Championship Qualifiers (first in program history)
- 1 NCAA Zone Champion (first in program history)
- 23 NCAA Zone Qualifiers
- 10 Conference Champions
- 6 Conference Divers of the Year
- 4 Conference Rookie Divers of the Year
- 6 Conference Diving Coach of the Year Awards
Prior to James Madison, Benson was the interim head diving coach at North Carolina State University in 2006-07. Six of her seven divers qualified for the NCAA Zone B meet. Benson’s other coaching stints include Broughton High School (Raleigh, N.C.); North Hills Club (Raleigh, N.C.); Aquatics Club (Chapel Hill, N.C.); Jordan High School (Durham, N.C.); Alabama Diving Club; Los Angeles Diving Team; and UCLA.
“I’m grateful to Coach Weber and Athletic Director Erin McDermott for giving me the opportunity to coach at UChicago,” Benson said. “The energy that runs through this campus is unique and vigorous, and I look forward to contributing to it.”
As a collegiate diver, Benson was a two-time conference champion for the University of South Carolina. She was the National Independent Conference three-meter champion as a freshman with the Gamecocks. She was also named the 1984 Metro Conference Diver of the Year and was an NCAA semifinalist.
Benson earned her bachelor’s degree in sport & fitness management from the University of Alabama. She received her master’s degree in sport administration from North Carolina State.
GREAT hire!