Jeremy Benoit Named Goldey-Beacom College’s New Director of Athletics

7/6/2021 12:00:00 AM

Tweet #GBCLightning

Jeremy Benoit, who has accomplished a great deal in helping Goldey-Beacom's Department of Athletics reach new levels, has been named the College's new Director of Athletics.

"It pleases me to no end that Mr. Benoit will serve as our next leader in athletics," Goldey-Beacom College President Dr. Colleen Perry Keith said. "He is inheriting a well-run program and will bring to it very important traits that I have seen him exhibit over the past two years: tenacity, diligence, vision, and heart. Leadership takes many forms, and I look forward to seeing how he brings his strengths to this role for the benefit of our student-athletes in the years ahead."

"I could not be any more delighted that Jeremy Benoit has been promoted to the position as Athletics Director at Goldey-Beacom College," current Director of Athletics Dr. Thomas Brennan said. "As I have shared with others, I have worked with individuals who have advanced to the AD position, but there have been few as strong a candidate as Jeremy. Jeremy and I have worked closely during my years as Athletics Director at GBC and he receives my highest and my most qualified endorsement. Jeremy recognizes better than anyone both the challenges and the opportunities that lie ahead for GBC. The program could not be in better hands."

Benoit's achievements have been many and his likability with the student-athletes and staff is contagious. He already has left a giant footprint in helping both the department and the College move forward, which likely will continue with his ascension into this new role that he seemingly has been made for rather than groomed.

"It's an exciting time to be a part of the Lightning Family and I'm incredibly appreciative that the College is giving me the opportunity to further define what that means," Benoit said. "I was lucky enough to land at GBC very early in my career and have had only one focus: making sure our student-athletes have the best possible collegiate experience that they could have. That's what my alma mater did for me, which is ultimately how I wound up in this profession."

Benoit in 2015 arrived as the department's Compliance Specialist and has taken on an increased role each year, producing a greater awareness of Athletics within the College. He was elevated in January 2019 to Associate AD after his promotion in December 2016 to Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance and Operations.

A look around campus explains a lot of this. Benoit had a huge hand in helping resurface and rebrand Nancy Churchman Sawin Field (home of our soccer teams), implementing new branding in the Jones Center both inside and outside the gym, and playing a role in the College's multi-million-dollar renovation project which included four brand new locker rooms, 15 offices and a conference room for the Athletic Department.

Benoit also has played a massive role in helping build a bridge between Athletics and other departments around campus, strengthening an already existing bond to show how Athletics and producing quality student-athletes can be a beneficiary in helping the College move forward. In doing so, his role at the College is not limited to Athletics – he has served on multiple committees that include the College's Title IX Deputy Coordinator, served as an adjunct professor of Sport Management, and been involved in the Department's and the College's strategic planning process.

"From the moment he stepped on campus six years ago, Jeremy Benoit has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advancing Goldey-Beacom College Athletics," Vice President for Student Affairs & Athletics Chuck Hammond said. "Most importantly, he has a strong passion for mentoring coaches and student-athletes, always prioritizing academic success while emphasizing the importance of giving back to the community. With a proven track record for successfully working with all campus constituencies, Jeremy truly understands the role and value of GBC Athletics as we develop future leaders and engaged citizens. I'm honored to welcome Jeremy as our new Director of Athletics."

He also has done extensive work with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as well as with GBC Cares, the department's community service arm. Part of that community service has featured extensive work at The Summit, interviewing veterans at the nearby retirement home discuss their life in the military and the fight they endured for our freedom. The project, Veterans of The Summit: Stories of Service, closed third for the 2019 NCAA Division II Award of Excellence.

Benoit adds, "When now Vice President (former AD) Chuck Hammond hired me in 2015, I learned a lot from him about what working hard in Athletics looks like and why we do what we do. He was a 'do everything' type guy and that's what I wanted to be, so I did my best to emulate those traits. Then he got promoted and Dr. Brennan was hired as the next AD, and I had another great opportunity to learn. With over 40 years of experience in Athletics at several different institutions, Tom represented a gold mine of experience and knowledge that I just tried to dig into every day. I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to both men as they've been great mentors and assets in both my personal and professional life."

It was not an easy road for Benoit to ground his feet in the world of collegiate athletics. As he often shares with students, he applied to over 80 full-time jobs all over the country before landing at GBC which is a testament to the competitive nature of the field. Benoit came to Goldey-Beacom after working in the summer of 2015 for the Ivy League as a Summer Fellow. At the Princeton, NJ office, he updated documents and policies, did logistical planning for upcoming championships, assisted in compliance material used for student-athlete educational documents and worked with the staff on agendas and ongoing projects.

Prior to that, Benoit was a graduate assistant athletic director at Castleton University for two years. He helped maintain compliance regulations related to academic performance, administered game-day operations, assisted in the teaching and production of Sport Administration courses and assisted in the development of a Master of Science in Athletic Leadership program all while earning his Master of Arts in Education.

He has also served as an adjunct professor of Sport Administration for Castleton since 2015, and during his undergraduate studies in 2012 was an Event and Merchandise Management intern for Spartan Race. With Spartan Race, he handled merchandise operations and customer service.

Benoit also did his undergraduate work and played football at Castleton University during its first four seasons, earning a Bachelor of Science in Sport Administration with a minor in Business Administration. He served as Academic Captain for the football program from 2010-13, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee President in 2012-13, was a residence hall community advisor and helped with multiple community service projects. He then received his Master's from Castleton University in 2015.

"Goldey-Beacom, in general, is in the midst of a very important era in its long history," Benoit added. "As Director of Athletics, I hope to set and foster the vision for GBC Athletics for years to come that will help the College continue to make strides toward becoming a top-tier institution in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and the East Region. We will pride ourselves in doing things the right way. Coaches will become better coaches, administrators will become better administrators and the College will become a better college… all for the betterment of our students."

Print Friendly Version