Eddie Benton is the associate head coach for Robert Morris women’s basketball in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. He joined the Colonials’ staff on April 8, 2024, bringing more than 28 years of coaching experience across Division I, Division III, high school, and AAU basketball. A native of Pittsburgh’s Manchester neighborhood, Benton returned to the college game after two highly successful seasons at Oakland Catholic, where he compiled a 52-8 record. In his first season there, he led the Eagles to a 26-5 mark, the WPIAL Class 5A Section III title, a berth in the WPIAL finals, and a trip to the PIAA state semifinals, earning Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Class 5A Coach of the Year honors. His second team opened 22-0, repeated as section champion, and advanced to the WPIAL semifinals. Before Oakland Catholic, Benton spent the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach at Mississippi State. There, he coached two All-SEC players, including Anastasia Hayes, who was a finalist for the Gillom Trophy as the top women’s basketball player in Mississippi. He previously worked at Brown during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, helping coach two Ivy League all-conference players, including Shayna Mehta, who finished her career as Brown’s second all-time leading scorer and the Ivy League’s 11th all-time leading scorer. In 2017-18, Benton was an assistant coach at Cincinnati and helped the Bearcats win 19 games, their highest total in 15 years. That team reached the American Athletic Conference tournament semifinals for the first time and earned a WNIT berth, while IImar'i Thomas was named AAC Freshman of the Year. From 2014 to 2017, Benton served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Duquesne. During that span, the Dukes won 71 games, captured the 2016 Atlantic 10 regular-season title, and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. Duquesne also earned WNIT bids in 2014 and 2015. Benton coached six Atlantic 10 all-conference players who combined for 12 selections, including 2016 A-10 Player of the Year April Robinson. In 2012-13, he was an assistant coach at Saint Francis, helping the Red Flash reach the NEC championship game and earn the program’s first Women’s Basketball Invitational berth. Alli Williams was named All-NEC First Team under his guidance. Benton also enjoyed an eight-year run as head coach at La Roche from 2004 to 2012.
He led the Lady Redhawks to back-to-back Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference championships and consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, winning 108 games during his tenure. He was named AMCC Coach of the Year in both 2011 and 2012. Earlier in his career, he coached on the men’s side, including three seasons as an assistant at Robert Morris under Mark Schmidt after spending two years as an assistant with the La Roche men’s program. His experience also includes work with the Western Pennsylvania Bruins AAU program, and he owns BentForce Basketball, a training and consulting company, with his wife Daynia La-Force. As a player, Benton was one of the most accomplished guards in Vermont history. He remains the Catamounts’ all-time leading scorer and was inducted into the Vermont Hall of Fame in 2006. In 1996, he won both the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, given to the nation’s top player under 6 feet tall, and the Bob Cousy Award for the best senior in the region under 6 feet. His 2,474 career points rank second in America East Conference history, and he left Vermont as the school’s career leader in 15 offensive categories, including scoring average at 23.8 points per game. Benton, a 1996 team captain, had his No. 10 retired by Vermont in 2000. He scored 40 or more points in a game six times, including a school and conference record 54 against Drexel, and also set school and league records for free throws made and consecutive free throws. Benton was a First Team All-America East selection in all four seasons and the league’s 1993 Rookie of the Year. He was also named to the America East 20th Anniversary All-Star Team, earned three NABC District I First-Team selections, was the 1993 NABC District I Rookie of the Year, and received multiple ECAC and USBWA honors. After graduating with a degree in sociology, he played professionally in the CBA with the Grand Rapids Hoops and later continued his career in Israel, Holland, and Venezuela. In high school, he was a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous Five selection, an All-City League performer, helped Perry Traditional Academy win the 1991 PIAA championship, and won the three-point contest at the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic. Benton has four children, including Ny’Asia Benton, who has competed on Robert Morris’ track and field team, and Eddie Benton III, who has been part of the RMU football program. His wife, Daynia, has served as a college and WNBA coach and is the executive director of the Terance Mann Complete Player Foundation.
