Following up on something that I mentioned earlier this week (D3 DIRT)…Jamie Benton has announced his retirement after 22-seasons as the head basketball coach at Johnson and Wales University (RI). Here’s the press release from the school:
Longtime Johnson & Wales University men’s basketball coach Jamie Benton has announced his retirement after 22 seasons at the helm of the program.
Benton arrived at JWU in 2004 and departs with a program-record 271 wins, three Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championships (2010-11, 2015-16, 2017-18), three NCAA Tournament wins – including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2015-16 – and an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Championship (2013-14). Overall, the Wildcats appeared in eight GNAC Quarterfinals and five GNAC Semifinals under Benton’s watch.
“After an incredible journey, I am announcing my retirement as the head men’s basketball coach at Johnson & Wales University,” said Benton, who was named GNAC Coach of the Year, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Coach of the Year, and ECAC New England Region Coach of the Year in 2015-16. “Leading this program has been one of the greatest honors of my professional life. I want to express my deepest gratitude to the University leadership, the athletic department administration, and the entire Wildcat community for their unwavering support throughout my tenure. Thank you for believing in our vision and providing our program with the resources to compete at the highest level. To my coaching staff: thank you for your tireless dedication, loyalty, and passion. Most importantly, to my players both past and present: thank you for your hard work, sacrifices, and commitment to excellence both on the court and in the classroom. You are the heartbeat of this program and watching you grow into successful young men has been my ultimate reward.”
Under Benton’s tutelage, three of those student-athletes – Lamonte Thomas (2010-11 & 2011-12), Quarry Greenaway (2015-16), and Brian Hogan-Gary (2018-19) – were named GNAC Player of the Year. Thomas was a D3hoops.com All-America selection in his final two seasons and ended his career as the fourth-leading scorer in NCAA Division III history with 2,740 points. He was inducted into the GNAC Hall of Fame in 2019. Greenaway, meanwhile, entered both the GNAC and JWU Hall of Fame in 2023.
“On behalf of everyone here at Johnson & Wales University, I want to congratulate Jamie on a tremendous coaching career,” said Director of Athletics Dana Garfield. “Jamie guided our program through the most successful stretch in program history and his name will forever be synonymous with this program. Off the court, he impacted the lives of not only the hundreds of student-athletes he coached, but the lives of those he touched through his work in the community. We wish him nothing but the best in retirement.”
The men’s basketball team became the first athletic program in school history to win an NCAA Tournament contest as they defeated Ramapo 114-106 in overtime on March 4, 2011 in New Jersey. Five years later, Greenaway and Garrick led the Wildcats to a 28-3 record and the program’s second GNAC Championship. That squad – which climbed to as high as No. 12 in the national polls – went on to defeat Trinity (CT) (75-73) and Fitchburg St. (86-74) to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16.
“For more than two decades, Jamie Benton has been an exceptional ambassador for Johnson & Wales University,” said Johnson & Wales University President Joe Greene. “He cared for his student-athletes as if they were his own and continued mentoring them long after they graduated. On the court, he put our men’s basketball program on the map by becoming the first JWU athletic team to win an NCAA tournament game. His impact on our University is enduring and I extend my sincerest congratulations to him on his retirement.”
A graduate of nearby LaSalle Academy and later Boston College, Benton spent four seasons as an assistant coach at JWU (2000-04) before assuming head coaching duties. In his final season as an assistant, the Wildcats won 21 games and captured their first GNAC Championship with a win over Southern Vermont.
“While I am stepping away from the sidelines, I will always remain a proud supporter of JWU Basketball,” added Benton. “I look forward to watching the program continue to thrive in its next chapter.”
A four-year member of the Eagles men’s basketball program, Benton helped BC win 62 games during that span. His time in Chestnut Hill was highlighted by a run to the Sweet 16 as a freshman in 1984-85 and an appearance at Madison Square Garden in the NIT as a senior in 1987-88. Benton graduated as the program’s all-time leader in free throw pct. (84.6 pct.) and averaged 7.8 ppg for his career. As a senior, led the Eagles in three-point percentage at 48.7 pct. (56-of-115) en route to averaging a career-high 12.4 ppg.
Benton was inducted into the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Hall of Fame in 2013.
A national search for a new men’s basketball coach is underway.
