Derrick Bennett

Derrick Bennett joins our Edward Waters coaching staff with many years of volleyball experience. Bennett has racked up almost two decades of playing and coaching experience prior to joining EWU's staff, including stops at UT Chattanooga, Florida State, Saint Leo and Southeastern Oklahoma State.

While on staff at these programs, Bennett brought a level of success that included deep tournament runs and national recognition.

Bennett previously coached at University of Tennessee in Chattanooga. He joined their volleyball staff in August 2023. Derrick’s season with the Mocs saw UTC earn its second consecutive winning season after posting a 19-14 record overall in 2023. It was in that same season that the Mocs opened the year with an 8-1 record, marking the best start to a season in program history. Under Bennett’s guidance, two Mocs have received All-Conference honors from the SoCon while one additional Moc earned a SoCon All-Tournament Team nod.

Prior to his hiring at UTC, Bennett made a short stop in Kingsville, Texas where he was serving as an Elite Traveling Volleyball Training Coach for Gold Medal Squared and coaching at multiple collegiate Summer Volleyball Camps. (UT at Austin, Ole Miss, and FSU).

Before Texas, Bennett’s home was in Tallahassee Florida. Bennett also coached multiple USAV travel teams at Tallahassee Volleyball Academy. He started coaching at TVA in December of 2021 following the completion of FSU’s Volleyball season where Bennett held the role of technical coordinator with the prestigious Florida State University’s indoor volleyball program. It was there that Bennett helped with opponent scouting and analyzing individual and team performance data. That season, the Seminoles finished with a record of 20-10 on the year, reaching the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.

Prior to moving to Tallahassee, Bennett served on Saint Leo’s volleyball coaching staff at the beginning of the 2019 indoor season and continued coaching for the Lions through the 2021 Beach season. During his first season as assistant coach, Saint Leo’s indoor team reached new heights by capturing its first NCAA DII South Region Championship and NCAA DII Elite Eight appearance. Saint Leo’s Beach Volleyball team also placed 5 th at the 2021 AVCA National Championship.

Bennett went to Saint Leo from Impact Volleyball Academy in Winter Haven, Fla., where he served as Club Director, Plyometric Instructor and Training Coach as well as Head Coach for many different age groups. He first began at the club in 2009 and worked there for five years before returning in 2017.

In between his two stops at Impact Volleyball Academy, Bennett’s first collegiate coaching stop was at Southeastern Oklahoma State from 2014 to 2015, where he held the role of volunteer assistant coach. While there, the Savage Storm finished third in the Great American Conference with a record of 10-4. Bennett also helped a total of four players get recognized with All-GAC honors. Bennett is a 2008 graduate of Warner University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science along with a minor in coaching. Bennett also played on Warner’s men’s volleyball team during his time at the university, serving as a defensive specialist and libero for the Royals.