Marquette associate head coach Tony Benford has agreed to become the new head coach at North Texas, sources told SNY.tv.
A press conference is set for 2 p.m. Wednesday to introduce Benford, who competed with ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla for the position.
After SNY.tv reported the story Tuesday afternoon, the school issued a release.
“We are very excited about the opportunity to add Tony Benford to the strong group of coaches at the University of North Texas,” said Director of Athletics Rick Villarreal.
“In this search we were looking for a set of traits that make up a great coach and a great person, and Tony Benford fit the bill. He is a tireless worker, has great relationships with his players, has been a part of several successful programs and is highly respected by those that have coached with and against him. He has always recruited the Dallas area and has the ties that will help keep Texas talent in Texas.”
Benford recently interviewed and was a finalist for the SMU job, but lost out to 71-year-old Larry Brown.
Prior to working under Buzz Williams, Benford worked at Nebraska and Arizona State.
A native of Hobbs, N.M., Benford was a 1986 fourth-round NBA Draft selection by the Boston Celtics out of Texas Tech. He played professionally in Holland during the 1986-87 season.
As a prep all-star, Benford was a Converse All-American and the New Mexico Player of the Year after pouring in 27.5 points per game as a senior. He led Hobbs to the state title in his final season, earning MVP honors of the state championship tournament after posting 29 points in the title game.
Benford and his wife, Deborah, have two daughters, Audriana (22) and Milena (14), and one son, Tony Jr. (19). Benford also has a son, Jeremy (29).
