Paul Benim

The 2023 season marked Paul’s 31st season as a head coach at Penn State Behrend and his 28th at the helm of the baseball program. Entering this spring he ranked 25th on the active Division III baseball head coaching all-time wins list. Historically, he is ranked 48th across Division III baseball coaches for all-time wins. In April of this year, he collected his 700th baseball coaching win. Benim is Behrend’s all-time leader in baseball coaching victories with a 711-419-4 record during 28 seasons.   He became the head coach of the softball program at 22 years old. Including three seasons as the head softball coach, he owns a 793-458-4 record. He is the all-time leader in coaching victories at Behrend across all sports. The baseball program has made the AMCC Tournament 24 times, won six regular season and six conference tournament titles, and finished runner-up eight times.  He has guided the Lions to five ECAC championships and five NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, the last in 2021.   That season the Behrend Lions won the program’s sixth AMCC Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Behrend defeated No. 17 NC Wesleyan and Rochester at the NCAA Regionals.  The Lions finished the season with a 27-13 mark. During the 2015 season, the Behrend Lions posted a 28-12 mark and won a second straight ECAC Southern Region title. The 2014 season was monumental for Benim. The veteran coach earned his 500th career victory en route to the Lions winning their fourth ECAC South Region Title under his direction. Behrend finished with a 30-14 overall record and a 13-3 mark in the AMCC. In 2013, Benim guided Behrend to its fifth AMCC Championship and fourth overall trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Lions finished with a 30-12 record, including an impressive 15-1 mark in conference play. Coach Benim earned his fifth AMCC Coach of the Year honor. The 2012 year featured an impressive ECAC Championship victory earned on the road and a 29-15 record.  Prior to becoming head baseball coach, Benim served Penn State Behrend as the head softball coach for three seasons. He guided the team to 82 wins and three straight postseason appearances and a national ranking. In 1993, Benim led the team to an impressive 29-6 record while capturing the ECAC Championship. In the fall of 1998, this team was recognized as one of the ten best ever at the college.   Paul was inducted into the Wesleyville, Iroquois, Lawrence Park Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Penn State Behrend Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.  Benim is proud to have coached numerous outstanding players. He has coached 31 that have been inducted into the Behrend Lions Athletics Hall of Fame. He has coached numerous All-AMCC performers, All-AMCC Academic members and several All-Region and All-American players. Benim is also blessed to have worked with or played with several incredible coaches like Brian Streeter, Roger Sweeting, Phil Glass, Greg Guilliams, and Butch Kemling.  He and his wife are proud parents of four amazing daughters, Julia, Alison, Maura and Elise.