Dick Bennett
Dick Bennett (born April 20, 1943)
Teams coached: Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers, Green Bay Phoenix, Wisconsin Badgers, Washington State Cougars
Wisconsin-Stevens Point record^: 173-80 (.684)
Green Bay record: 187-109 (.632)
Wisconsin record: 93-69 (.574)
Washington State record: 36-49 (.424)
Overall record^: 489-307 (.614)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 6 (1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 1 (2000)
- NCAA Tournament Final Four: 1 (2000)
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 3 (1990, 1992, 1996)
- Summit League Regular Season Champion: 2 (1992, 1994)
- WIAC (NAIA) Regular Season Champion: 4 (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985)
- MCC Tournament Champion: 1 (1995)
- Summit League Tournament Champion: 2 (1991, 1994)
- NAIA National Championships: 0 (Runner-up in 1984)
- NCAA Division II Tournament Appearances: 3 (1983, 1984, 1985)
Awards:
- Summit League Coach of the Year: 2 (1990, 1992)
- NAIA Coach of the Year: 1 (1984)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
2003-2006 | Washington State |
1995-2001 | Wisconsin |
1985-1995 | Green Bay |
1976-1985 | Wisconsin-Stevens Point |
Dick Bennett Facts
- Richard A. Bennett
- Born April 20, 1943
- Hometown: Clintonville, Wisconsin
- Alma Mater: Ripon College (BA, 1965)
- Played baseball, football and basketball for four years each at Ripon College in Wisconsin
- Born in Pittsburgh but raised in Clintonville, WI, Bennett spent almost his entire coaching career in Wisconsin
- Started coaching at the high school level, spending eleven years coaching at five different Wisconsin high schools
- Coached NAIA (now D-III) Wisconsin-Stevens Point for nine years, winning 173 games and going to three NAIA Tournaments
- Won NAIA Coach of the Year in 1984 following a runner-up finish in the NAIA Tournament
- Spent ten seasons as the head coach at Green Bay, leading the Phoenix to three NCAA Tournaments and two NITs
- Left Green Bay for the head coaching vacancy at Wisconsin in 1995, coaching the Badgers for six seasons
- Led the Badgers to the Final Four in 2000, the program’s second ever trip and first since 1941
- Resigned three games into the 2000-01 season and took the next several seasons off
- Took over at Washington State in March 2003, spending three seasons as the Cougars’ head coach
- Retired in 2006, turning the team over to his son (and associate head coach), Tony Bennett
- Along with his wife, Anne, has two daughters and one son
- Brother, Jack Bennett, was also the head coach at UW-Stevens Point and won two D-III National Championships
- The Pointers of UWSP play on Bennett Court at Quandt Fieldhouse, named in honor of both Jack and Dick
- Son Tony Bennett, played for and coached under his father and is currently the head coach at Virginia
- Daughter Kathi Bennett is also a coach, coaching the women’s teams at both Northern Illinois and Indiana
- Brother, Jack Bennett, was also the head coach at UW-Stevens Point and won two D-III National Championships
Dick Bennett Coaching Tree
- Tony Bennett (Virginia, Washington State)
- Mike Burns (Pacific, Eastern Washington)
- Mike Heideman (Green Bay)
- Terry Porter (Portland, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks)
- Ron Sanchez (Charlotte)
- Brad Soderberg (Lindenwood, Saint Louis, Wisconsin, Loras)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at both the NCAA Division I and NAIA levels