A memorial service was held last week in East Orange for head track and field coach Gerald "Bennie" Benson, Jr., 36, who died Feb. 20 of a heart attack. A funeral was held in Pittsburgh, Pa., where Benson was raised.

"Bennie was a special person," said MSU Director of Athletics Holly Gera. "He was a tough competitor and a great track coach. He will be very much missed by all of us here at Montclair State. His warmth, his smile and his self-effacing sense of humor were always bright spots in the day."

Benson spent the past nine years with the Red Hawks, taking over a dormant program that last enjoyed success in the 1991-1992 seasons. Since then, Benson elevated MSU into one of the premier programs in the nation.

"He wasn't just a coach, he was a father figure for most of us on the team," said Tierra Hicks '03, a six-time All-American and 2003 NCAA Division Outdoor champion. "Bennie had more heart than any one of us. No matter who or where we competed against, he always made us feel as though we belonged."

Two days after Benson's death, Montclair State's track and field athletes participated in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) championships in New York, where the men's team took third and the women's team placed seventh. After the meet, the coaches named Benson the 2004 men's NJAC Coach of the Year.

New Jersey City University Coach Mark Griffin was quoted as saying, "There was not even a discussion...We all said it would be a hell of a tribute to a hell of a coach."

Under his tutelage, Benson helped fashion three individual NCAA Division III champions and 42 All-Americans. In addition, Montclair produced 50 New Jersey Athletic Conference champions and saw more than 100 athletes named to the All-Conference team.

This season, seven athletes have qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships in Whitewater, Wis. on March 12-13, including freshman sprinter Lance Wigfall and sophomore Hashan Johnson, who have posted the best performances in the country in the 400 meters and long jump, respectively.

"He was so well respected," said Mike Scala, Montclair State's director of Sports Information. "Rarely are Division III schools invited to Division I meets, but we were invited to many because of Bennie."

In 2002, Benson guided the men's indoor track team to a third-place finish at the 2002 NCAA Championships--the highest finish in school history.The team also finished second at the ECAC Championships, another highest finish. The women's team also enjoyed success, finishing eighth at the 2002 Indoor Championships, which was the second-highest finish in school history.

During the 2002 outdoor season, the Red Hawks continued their history-making year as the men's and women's teams finished seventh at the NCAA Championships,tying the best-ever finish by the women's team at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Benson was laden with honors by his peers. In 2002 he was named as the NCAA Men's Indoor National Coach of the Year as well as the 2002 NCAA Men's Regional Indoor Coach of the Year. He also was honored by the Senate of the State of New Jersey in 2002 for his coaching accomplishments. After the 2000 and 2001 Indoor seasons, Benson was selected as the NJAC Men's Indoor Coach of the Year. He was also the 1998 NCAA Women's Regional Indoor Coach of the Year.

A native of Pittsburgh, Benson graduated from West Mifflin High School in 1985. He earned a bachelor's degree in sports management from Robert Morris College (now Robert Morris University) in 1991. Benson was the father of three children--Chartara, Gerald III, and Brandon.

Assistant Coach Joe Lewis will be the interim head coach of the program.