Bio

Twitter: @CoachBenavidez

Marc Benavidez is in his fourth year as Head Football Coach.

Benavidez currently owns an 19-14 record (9-8 Heart North) at William Penn.  He has led 42 players to all-Heart of America Athletic Conference honors, while three players have earned All-America laurels.  He has also guided 16 NAIA Scholar-Athletes and 12 Heart Scholar-Athletes.

In his third year at the helm in 2025, the Statesmen qualified for the NAIA Football Championship Series, reaching the Second Round with an 11-2 record.  The 11 wins are a program record, while the playoff win is the first in school history.

Benavidez has claimed one Heart North Coach of the Year honor (2025).

Benavidez came to WPU from Avila University in Kansas City, Mo. where he served in the same role from 2018-2022.  Moving up the ranks within the program, he concluded his five-year stint as the winningest coach in school history with a 39-12 record (36-11 KCAC).

Benavidez guided AU to a 10-2 record during his final season in 2022, including posting a 9-1 record in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.  The Eagles shared the league crown and qualified for their first-ever NAIA FCS appearance.

Named the 2022 KCAC Coach of the Year, Benavidez also served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the five seasons as head coach.  In addition to the conference title in 2022, he also led the Eagles to a KCAC championship (first in school history) in 2020.

While at Avila, Benavidez pushed the program to a school-best ranking of #13 (in 2022), defeated numerous ranked foes, and broke nearly every offensive school record.

In 2022, Benavidez led 24 players to all-KCAC honors and five athletes to AFCA NAIA All-American laurels.  He coached two KCAC Offensive Players of the Year.

An alum of Avila, graduating in 2012 with a degree in Sports Science, Benavidez started his coaching career at his alma mater in 2012.  During his tenure as an assistant, he was the position coach for running backs, wide receivers, offensive lineman before becoming the associate head coach, offensive coordinator, and recruiting coordinator in 2017.  He stayed in that role for one year before his promotion to head coach in 2018.

As an Eagle student-athlete, Benavidez was a four-year letterwinner.  A versatile player, he was utilized as a quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive back.

Benavidez is a native of Troy, Mo. and graduated from Troy Buchanan HS in 2008.

Benavidez's Career at William Penn

2025 11-2 (5-1 HEART)
2024 4-6 (2-4 HEART)
2023 4-6 (2-3 HEART)
CAREER 19-14 (9-8 CONF) (.576)