Dick Bennett

Richard A. Bennett (born April 20, 1943) is an American former college basketball coach who is best known for building the Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball program into a mid-major power and revitalizing the Wisconsin Badgers basketball program.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he is the father of current Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Bennett and former Northern Illinois women's basketball head coach Kathi Bennett.

Bennett was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and raised in Clintonville, Wisconsin.

He graduated from Ripon College in 1965 with a B.A. in education.

At Ripon, Bennett played basketball (guard), football (halfback and return specialist), and baseball (third baseman) four years each.

Bennett had enormous success at each level of collegiate coaching in Wisconsin.

In 1965, he became freshman basketball coach at West Bend High School in West Bend, Wisconsin.

He coached at Mineral Point High in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, during the 1966–67 season.

He then was varsity head coach at Marion High School in Marion, Wisconsin for two seasons from (1967–1969), New London High School in New London, Wisconsin (1969–1972), and Memorial High School in Eau Claire, Wisconsin (1972–1976).

In the mid-1970s, he led Eau Claire Memorial High School to the state title game.

A year later, the Badgers notched their first winning record in Big Ten Conference play since 1974, and only their second since 1954.

Bennett led Memorial to a runner-up finish to South Milwaukee at the WIAA State Tournament during the 1975–76 season.

Bennett began his collegiate coaching career at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point in 1976, where he won 173 games in nine seasons.

While head coach, Bennett completed a master's degree in education with an emphasis in professional development in August 1979.

In the mid-1980s, he led the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to an NAIA title game.

He was named NAIA Coach of the Year after leading the 1983–84 squad to a 28–4 record and national runner-up finish.

That team featured future NBA All-Star Terry Porter and future Saint Louis University head coach Brad Soderberg.

In 1985, Bennett moved to the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay.

In the early 1990s he brought the Green Bay Phoenix of UW–Green Bay to its first three NCAA tournament appearances.

The Green Bay Phoenix posted a 4–24 record the year before Bennett arrived, but had reached the second round of the NIT tournament by 1990.

Bennett's son Tony became the star of the team during the early 1990s.

A guard who played several seasons in the NBA, Tony Bennett led the team to its first NCAA tournament berth in 1991, where the Phoenix lost to Michigan State in the first round.

The following year, the UWGB rolled to a 25–5 and won its first regular season conference title, but lost in the conference tournament.

After Tony Bennett's departure in 1992, the 1993–94 team won the conference title and tournament on its way to the NCAA tournament.

In 1995, Bennett replaced Stan Van Gundy at the University of Wisconsin–Madison as the head coach of the men's basketball team.

In Bennett's first year, the Wisconsin Badgers earned a bid in the NIT.

During his tenure at Wisconsin he was 94–68 (.580) from 1995–2000.

Bennett also coached Wisconsin to its first ever 20-win season in 1998–99.

And in 2000, after five years in Madison, he took the Badgers to the Final Four.

Prior to collegiate coaching, Bennett coached at the high school level.

He coached Wisconsin to three NCAA tournament appearances, including the 2000 Final Four.

The Badgers had played in a total of three NCAA tournaments in their entire history prior to his arrival.

Bennett resigned three games into the 2000–01 season citing burnout.

After two years off, Bennett was hired at Washington State University on March 29, 2003.

He faced a daunting rebuilding project.

Making strong defense a cornerstone, he started building around veterans Thomas Kelati and Jeff Varem and brought in what arguably was the greatest recruiting class in school history in 2004 (Kyle Weaver, Derrick Low, Robbie Cowgill, Chris Henry, Daven Harmeling and Josh Akognon).

Bennett stayed three seasons at WSU.

In 2009, the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point renamed its basketball court Bennett Court to honor both Dick Bennett and his brother Jack Bennett.

There, the 12th-seeded Phoenix defeated 5th-seeded California, whose roster included Jason Kidd and Lamond Murray.

In Bennett's final year with the Phoenix, his team returned to the NCAA Tournament where they lost to Big Ten champion Purdue.