Sources tell WildcatAuthority that former Arizona Special Assistant to the Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, TJ Benson, has been promoted to the assistant coach position left open by Riccardo Fois, who took a job with the Sacramento Kings.
Benson, a Tempe, Arizona native, just finished his third season at Arizona, where he helped with recruiting, scheduling, and scouting reports.
Before joining Arizona, Benson was the Coordinator of Basketball Administration at Gonzaga for the 2020-21 season, handling non-conference scheduling, day-to-day operations, scouting, recruiting, and developing players like Joel Ayayi, Jalen Suggs, and Drew Timme.
Benson previously spent seven seasons with Grand Canyon University’s men’s basketball program as an assistant coach and director of operations. He played a significant role in recruiting top talent, including Tim Finke and Jovan Blacksher Jr., and helped the team win 81 games during their Division I transition, developing 13 All-Conference players in the process. Before GCU, he was the assistant director of basketball operations at Boise State in 2011-12.
Gonzaga head coach Lloyd praised Benson’s contributions, highlighting their strong relationship and Benson’s diverse experience and Arizona roots.
As a student-athlete, Benson played at Weber State and Grand Canyon, participating in the 2007 NCAA Tournament and 2009 NIT. He earned Second Team Pacific West Conference honors in 2009-10 at GCU and played professionally in Brazil, leading Tijuca Tenis Clube to the Brazil Super Cup championship in 2010-11.
Benson holds a Business Administration degree from Weber State and a master’s degree in Marketing from GCU. He graduated from Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, Arizona.
Arizona basketball is expected to make additional hires and potentially reorganize duties within the program in the coming weeks.
