Dec. 21, 2007

AUBURN - Wade Benson has been named head volleyball coach at Auburn University announced Athletics Director Jay Jacobs and Senior Woman Administrator Meredith Jenkins.

Benson, 44, served as an assistant at Auburn this past season. He replaces Laura Farina, who resigned in November after six seasons at Auburn.

"It is an early Christmas present," said Benson. "I am very excited to be a part of the Auburn family. I see a great upside to the volleyball program at Auburn. Coach Farina and all previous coaches have put in a lot of hard work to give Auburn volleyball the potential for greatness in the future."

Prior to his arrival at Auburn, Benson was the head coach at Eastern Washington University for seven seasons from 2000-06 where he tallied a 154-55 record and had the best career winning percentage (.760) in Big Sky Conference history.

Under his direction, EWU won three Big Sky Conference regular-season titles (2002, 2003, 2004) and a Big Sky Tournament title in 2001. For his efforts, Benson was named the Co-Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2006. Benson also served as an assistant coach at Eastern Washington from 1996-99.

Benson's EWU squads succeeded in the classroom as well, as six times they received the Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award.

"We are very excited to have Wade become our head coach," said Jacobs. "He was very successful at Eastern Washington and his year at Auburn and knowledge of the SEC will be a great benefit as he assumes these increased responsibilities. We are looking forward to a great future under his direction."

A Marina del Ray, Calif., native, Benson was the head coach at Western Oregon in 1995 where he led the program to a 42-7 record and a third-place finish at the NAIA Nationals. He also served as an assistant at Western Oregon from 1992-94.

A 2006 graduate of Eastern Washington, Benson and his wife, Jill, have two children, son Brady Jaymz (5) and daughter Bailey Marie (3).