Western Carolina men’s basketball head coach Mark Prosser today announced the addition of Ben Betts to the Catamount coaching staff. Betts, a Madison Heights, Va. native, has 30 years of coaching experience including three years as a Division I head coach at South Carolina State.
“We’re excited and so fortunate to have Ben join our coaching staff and family here at WCU,” said Prosser. “Ben possesses vast and very successful experience, as well as extensive knowledge of the game of basketball. He was a successful Division I head coach, is tremendous both on the court and in recruiting, and he’s exceptional at development and building relationships with players. For those reasons and so many more, we are fired up to have Ben in the ‘Whee.”
Betts arrives in Cullowhee after spending the previous five seasons as an assistant coach at former Southern Conference member Georgia Southern. The Eagles compiled three-straight 20-win seasons over the last three years along with 10 All-Sun Belt players including 2019 Sun Belt Player of the Year and Honorable Mention All-America Tookie Brown. Before arriving in Statesboro, Betts spent one season as an assistant at IUPUI preceded by three seasons as an assistant at Tennessee State.
“I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to work for Coach Prosser, join his staff, and be a part of the Catamount program,” stated Betts. “I have a great deal of respect for Coach Prosser in what he has done as an assistant over the years and now as the head coach of Western Carolina. I am also very excited about the players and everyone involved with the program and Western Carolina University. I can’t wait to get started!”
Prior to joining the staff at Tennessee State, Betts spent the 2011-12 season as Director of Basketball at the Spectrum Sports Academy in Roanoke, Va. From 2006-11, he served as an assistant coach at Oklahoma where he mentored 2009 NBA No. 1 overall pick Blake Griffin and helped direct the Sooners to the NCAA Tournament in 2008 and 2009.
Betts was the head coach at South Carolina State from 2003-06 and directed the Bulldogs to the MEAC regular-season crown in 2004 along with an 18-11 overall record. The following season, South Carolina State posted a 19-11 mark. During his tenure, South Carolina State claimed road wins over Power 5 foes Miami and Penn State.
Betts began his coaching career as an assistant at South Carolina State from 1990-97 before spending the next five seasons as an assistant coach at the College of Charleston. While in Charleston, Betts helped lead the Cougars to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1998 and 1999, with the latter team posting a 16-0 SoCon record. Betts spent the 2002-03 season as an assistant at VCU.
A 1990 graduate of Roanoke College, Betts was a four-year letterwinner and helped the Maroons reach the 1986-87 NCAA Division III tournament. He earned a master’s degree from South Carolina State in 1997.
https://catamountsports.com/news/2020/4/29/mens-basketball-adds-ben-betts-to-coaching-staff.aspx
