Bennett played football and golf at Presbyterian College. He earned his bachelor's degree in history and social studies from Presbyterian in 1984. He added a master's degree in guidance and counseling from Clemson University.
Coaching career
Coastal Carolina
Bennett was hired on December 21, 2001, as the Chanticleers' first head coach prior to the football program's launch season in 2003.[1] Bennett led the Chanticleers to a victory in their inaugural game, September 6, 2003, with a 21–14 home win over the Newberry Wolves. In the second, third, and fourth seasons of his tenure, he led the Chanticleers to nine or more wins each year, only qualifying for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs once in 2006 with an at-large berth, as the five-team Big South Conference had too few schools for an automatic bid.
On December 9, 2011, Bennett was relieved of his duties after the program slumped to a 29–28 record over his final five seasons. In nine years, Bennett's teams produced a 63–39 record playing at the NCAA Division I FCS level. Under his tenure, the Chanticleers reached the FCS playoffs twice, and finished in at least a tie for the Big South regular season title four times.
During his time at Coastal Carolina, Bennett gained notoriety for a portion of a press conference he gave on September 7, 2011 that went viral. In the clip, he referenced having instructed his players to be "more like [dogs]" and saying "we don't need no cats" while recounting an incident in which a neighborhood cat entered his house through a broken screen door but had difficulty exiting. The clip from the press conference was noted for its thorough detail of the incident and for Bennett's several attempts at recreating cat-like noises. The video has resurfaced several times in subsequent years, often on the anniversary of the original press conference, and resulted in several interviews and speaking opportunities for Bennett.[2][3]
