Arizona men’s basketball head coach Tommy Lloyd has announced the promotion of TJ Benson to Assistant Coach and the hiring of Matt King as President of Basketball Operations. Benson will also continue to be the recruiting coordinator.
Additionally, with the recent change in NCAA rules increasing the number of on-court coaches, Rem Bakamus and Ken Nakagawa have been elevated to assistant coaches, joining associate head coach Jack Murphy, assistant coach Steve Robinson and Benson.
“TJ, Rem and Ken have all played instrumental roles in the success we have had in our three years at Arizona,” Lloyd said. “And the addition of Matt to our staff will enhance every aspect of our program, both internally and externally. Each of them are outstanding people to begin with and are excellent at what they do, so we thrilled they are here to help us continue the excellence that is expected with Arizona Basketball.”
Benson has served as Special Assistant to the Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for the past three seasons under Lloyd. He has played a key role in scheduling and all recruiting efforts while also assisting with scouting reports throughout the season. As an assistant coach, Benson will provide on-court instruction during practice and games while also being able to recruit off-campus.
“I appreciate Coach Lloyd providing the opportunity to be part of the best staff in the country over these past three years and to now move into the assistant coach position” Benson said. “Being from the Phoenix area, I have always known what Arizona Basketball means to this state and I’m humbled to be able to play a part in continuing that amazing tradition. I look forward to helping our student-athletes continue to develop on and off the court as they progress through their basketball careers.”
Prior to Arizona, Benson was the Coordinator of Basketball Administration at Gonzaga in 2019-21 where he handled non-conference game scheduling and streamlining day-to-day operations of the program. From 2012-19, Benson was an assistant coach and director of operations at Grand Canyon University.
A native to Tempe, Benson was the assistant director of basketball operations at Boise State during the 2011-12 season and was an AAU coach for the U16 Arizona Cagers in 2006 and the U17 Arizona Magic Passion4Ball in 2011. He played basketball at Mesa Community College, Weber State and Grand Canyon during his college career and was a second team Pacific West Conference honoree in 2009-10.
King joins the basketball staff after spending the previous four years with Position Sports, which is a brand marketing firm based out of Phoenix. He has extensive experience running prominent events at various locations across the country.
“I want to thank Coach Lloyd, the staff and student-athletes for welcoming me into the Arizona Basketball family with open arms,” King said. “Arizona basketball holds a special place is the hearts of fans around the world, and that’s a testament to the people that have built it up over many decades. The program is on par with the top teams in the country and I look forward to working collaboratively with the entire university and athletic department to do all that we can to achieve more in the years ahead.”
As an executive at Position Sports, King was responsible for securing a 10-year agreement with the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame to run the “Hall of Fame” series of college basketball events throughout the country, including the Wildcats game against Alabama at Footprint Center during the 2023-24 season.
King was also a major part in coordinating the recently announced three-game series between Arizona and UCLA men’s basketball that starts this year in Phoenix. Another event that King created and organized was the annual Section 7 Event in Glendale, which brought the top high school basketball players to one location with over 500 college coaches in attendance.
His role with the men’s basketball program will involve coordinating and supporting the branding, marketing, community relations and operations along with scheduling and additional internal operations.
A 2004 graduate of the University of New Mexico, King earned his Bachelor’s degree in Communication, Journalism and Related Programs. He would go on to earn a Master’s degree in Secondary Education and Teaching from Wayland Baptist University in 2009.
Bakamus has been the Director of Player Development with the Wildcats since the start of the 2021-22 season. He has played an integral role in the development of a number of former Wildcats on and off the court.
Nakagawa is also entering his fourth season in Tucson, joining the staff in 2021-22 as the Director of Advanced Scouting. His role in the previous three seasons has involved assisting with preparing scouting reports and video scouting.
