Jerome Benton is a former basketball player and coach, most notably for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. He was a key player in the Razorbacks’ run to the Final Four in 1990 and was widely regarded as one of the best players in the program’s history. After a brief stint in the NBA, Benton returned to Arkansas to finish his degree and take on a coaching role. He was an assistant coach at Arkansas for seven seasons, helping lead the team to a pair of conference titles and a Sweet 16 appearance.
Early Life and Career
Jerome Benton was born in West Memphis, Arkansas in 1968. He was a star athlete at West Memphis High School, where he was a two-time all-state selection in basketball and was named an All-American in 1986. After high school, Benton chose to stay in-state and attend the University of Arkansas. He was a key contributor to the Razorbacks’ success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, leading the team to two Southwest Conference titles and the Final Four in 1990. He was named first-team All-SWC three times, and was a two-time All-American.
Professional Career
After college, Benton was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1990 NBA Draft. He played for two seasons in the NBA, mostly for the Spurs, before returning to Arkansas in 1992. He spent the next seven seasons as an assistant coach for the Razorbacks, helping the team to two conference regular season titles and a Sweet 16 appearance in 1997.
In 1999, Benton left Arkansas to become the head coach of the University of South Alabama Jaguars. He had a successful run as head coach, leading the Jaguars to a pair of NCAA tournament appearances and a conference tournament title in 2003. He was named conference coach of the year three times during his tenure at South Alabama, and compiled a record of 144-89 over eight seasons.
Post-Coaching Career
In 2007, Benton left South Alabama to become an assistant coach at the University of Florida under head coach Billy Donovan. He was part of the Gators’ staff for five seasons, during which they made four NCAA tournament appearances and won two SEC regular season titles. He left Florida in 2012 to become the head coach of the Texas Legends of the NBA Developmental League.
In 2013, Benton returned to Arkansas as an assistant under head coach Mike Anderson. He spent four seasons in that role, helping the Razorbacks to a pair of NCAA tournament appearances. He left Arkansas in 2017 and has since been a basketball analyst for ESPN and a basketball instructor at the University of Arkansas.