University of Connecticut Athletics
Staff Directory
- Title:
- Director of Athletics
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David Benedict became the Director of Athletics at the University of Connecticut in March of 2016 and has had a dynamic impact on Husky athletics, fueling incredible growth and tremendous success. Benedict was recognized this past spring as a 2025 National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) AD of the Year winner.
UConn’s athletic prominence continued into 2024-25 under Benedict’s leadership, as the UConn women’s basketball team captured the program’s 12th National Championship. The football program had their first winning season since 2010 that was capped off with a win in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl. The field hockey program captured their 21st BIG EAST title and along with women’s soccer, returned to the NCAA Tournament. The UConn women’s hockey team captured a second-straight Hockey East regular season title while the men’s program made their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. UConn track and field was once again a dominant force, winning both indoor and outdoor conference titles. The season was capped off with UConn softball winning the BIG EAST Championship and returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2001 season.
The 2023-24 season was one for the ages, highlighted by a back-to-back National Championship for the men’s basketball program, the sixth in program history. UConn captured a total of 11 conference championships, nine BIG EAST regular season and conference championships and two Hockey East regular season and conference championships. The Huskies were the recipients of the BIG EAST President’s Award for the 2023-24 season, given annually to the institution that has excelled at the highest levels in academics, athletics and citizenship during the previous academic year. UConn was also one of seven institutions nationally to rank in the top-25 in both the men’s (3rd) and women’s (24th) Capital One Cup final standings.
In addition, the baseball team won the BIG EAST title while making their second NCAA Super Regional appearance in three seasons. The UConn women’s hockey team captured the program’s first-ever Hockey East regular season and tournament titles and the team’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance while the track and field teams continued to dominate with their third-consecutive indoor/outdoor BIG EAST title sweep.
All of that coming off the heels of a 2022-23 season which saw a NCAA Championship for men’s basketball, another women’s basketball’s BIG EAST regular season title, a season-sweep of BIG EAST indoor and outdoor men’s and women’s track and field titles, BIG EAST regular season championships for the baseball and softball programs and a continued rise in the national polls by both men’s and women’s ice hockey.
Benedict helped orchestrate one of the most important decisions in UConn athletic history in 2020, finalizing UConn’s move to the BIG EAST Conference, which has been nationally heralded as a change that will provide a dramatic boost to UConn athletics. The details of the move included Benedict’s bold decision to have the UConn football team play as an FBS independent.
That decision coupled with the hiring of head football coach Jim Mora has led to the rejuvenation of the Huskies’ program, culminating in two postseason bowl appearances in the last three years. In 2024, UConn had one of the best seasons in the history of the program, finishing with nine wins and a victory in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl over ACC member North Carolina. It was just the fourth time in program history a UConn team has posted nine or more wins.
During the past four years, Benedict has overseen a dramatic improvement in the athletic facilities at UConn, the newest being the opening of the UConn Volleyball Center in 2023.  The recent openings of new state-of-the-art homes for baseball, softball and men’s and women’s ice hockey -- the Elliot Ballpark, Burrill Family Field at Connecticut Softball Complex and the Toscano Family Ice Forum, as well as the men’s and women’s soccer programs and women’s lacrosse team calling Joseph J. Morrone Stadium at Rizza Performance Center home after the newly renovated facility came online in 2021, put the Storrs Campus athletics facilities among the best in the nation.Â
In the fall of 2022, UConn athletics received its largest gift ever as alum Dr. Trisha M. Bailey made a significant lead commitment toward the construction of a state-of-the-art student-athlete performance and academic support facility on the Storrs campus, the Bailey Student Athlete Success Center. The project involves an 80,000-square foot renovation and expansion of the former recreation center and areas within the existing Hugh S. Greer Field House.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to sports in the early spring of the 2019-20 academic year, UConn had also enjoyed a solid year under Benedict’s stewardship, led by a resurgence by the men’s basketball team, which enjoyed its first winning season in four years and was on a five-game winning streak heading into the conference tournament when the season ended. Women’s basketball was likewise on a roll, compiling 29 wins and its seventh straight American Athletic Conference championship.
The 2020-21 season was unprecedented, and hopefully one-of-a-kind, but that did not deter the Huskies from achieving a high level of competitive success. The Huskies captured six BIG EAST Championships and six squads appeared in NCAA Tournament competition.  Â
Benedict’s steadfast emphasis on the classroom has remained evident. In 2023-24, UConn student-athletes achieved a record graduation success rate of 92%, with 76% of student-athletes earning a 3.0 or better term grade point average with 82 student-athletes earning a 4.0. The cumulative student-athlete GPA following the spring semester was 3.266. For the season, 100 student-athletes were named to the Dean’s List in their respective school or college, 30 student-athletes were named New England Scholars, and eight student-athletes were named Babbidge Scholars.
Benedict was instrumental in developing strategies that led to yearly increases in self-generated revenue production. Under Benedict’s leadership, UConn’s self-generated revenues for the athletic department in FY24 amounted to $62.7 million. This $62.7 million figure is a $7.6 million increase from FY23 and a 43.5% increase from FY22. UConn athletics were paramount to the state of Connecticut, contributing more than $242.7 million to the state’s economy through events and annual operating activity last year.
He has overseen corporate contract extensions which represent significant revenue streams and will continue to positively impact the 600+ student-athletes who wear the Husky uniform.
UConn extended its exclusive sponsorship agreement with Nike through the 2028-29 academic year. The total value of the Nike extensions, including cash and product consideration, executed in 2017 and 2023 under Benedict’s direction exceed $61 million. Benedict also helped UConn navigate a 15-year, $93 million extension for IMG (now Learfield) to continue as its multimedia partner through 2033.
With the ongoing evolution of college athletics nationally and associated modernization actions at the forefront, Benedict has kept a laser-focus on activities which benefit UConn’s student-athletes. This includes name, image and likeness (NIL) initiatives through the formation of collectives which allow student-athletes to be compensated for community service programs. UConn will continue to monitor the athletics landscape and industry trends in order to provide its student-athletes with an exceptional overall experience.
In addition, during his time at UConn, Benedict has had a pair of administrators on his staff move on to athletic director positions at other Division I institutions. Beth Goetz, who served as UConn athletics’ Chief Operating Officer and Senior Women’s Administrator, moved on to become the AD at Ball State before being named the new Athletic Director at Iowa in January of 2024. Mike Oblinger, who served under Benedict as the senior Associate Athletic Director of Development, was named the Director of Athletics at North Carolina Wilmington in February of 2023.
Prior to UConn, Benedict served as the Chief Operating Officer for the athletics department at Auburn University for two years. Benedict is a highly-experienced athletic administrator who served as the Deputy Athletic Director at Minnesota (2012-14) and in leadership positions at Virginia Commonwealth (2010-12), Long Beach State (2007-10) and Arizona State (1996-2006).
Benedict directed all the day-to-day operations of the Auburn athletic department, with particular emphasis on operational planning, resource allocation, budget development and strong financial management. He led the department in developing strategic long-range plans for a $120-plus million budget, facilities, staffing and accomplishing strategic goals.
He coordinated a five-year strategic plan for Auburn athletics, which featured initiatives for strategic priorities and goals. Benedict directed a team of staff members and coaches in creating a facility master plan and the initiation of a game-day master plan.
Benedict led a feasibility study to make renovations to Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium that initiated a $150-$180 million project. He negotiated a unique nine-year extension with an athletic footwear and equipment provider that included both product, cash and $10 million worth of stock.
Benedict provided ongoing support for the administration of the Auburn football program and was the men's basketball sport administrator.
At Minnesota, Benedict held a similar position as he identified areas to increase external support and provided stewardship for sponsors and major donors. He worked with the University of Minnesota Foundation to create the largest athletics campaign in school history. Benedict directed a number of contracts and relationships that helped increase the Gophers' revenue intake.
Benedict was the Executive Associate Athletic Director at VCU during his time there and also served as Interim Athletic Director for several months. At VCU, he increased annual giving, tickets sales and sponsorship revenues each year. While serving as Interim AD, Benedict led the school's transition from the Colonial Athletic Association to the Atlantic 10.
In his role at Long Beach, he administrated all external areas of the department and restructured the entire fundraising process. Benedict was also the baseball sports administrator. He was the Associate Athletic Director for Development at Arizona State and streamlined all areas of external relations.
A native of Tempe, Ariz., Benedict is a 1995 graduate of Southern Utah, where he was a linebacker on the football team. He earned a master's degree from New Mexico Highlands in 1996, where he served as a graduate assistant football coach.
Benedict and his wife, the former Lisa Zeis, have twin boys -- Jake and Sam. Lisa was a four-time gymnastics All-American and two-time NCAA champion at Arizona State.
