Diego Benitez

Biography

Diego Benitez has been a staple on the UT Arlington campus since his hiring in 2003 as an assistant coach. He was elevated to head coach in the spring of 2006 and returns to lead the Mavericks for his 18th season. Over the course of his career at UTA, Benitez has developed over 100 all-conference selections between the men's and women's squads, including five Player of the Year winners. He has made four trips to the NCAA Tournament, going to the NCAA Regional in 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2016. In his inaugural season as head coach (2006), Benitez led the Mavericks to a second place Southland Conference finish, with a 9-1 record in conference play and a 12-9 overall record. Benitez also guided the Mavericks' success from 2009-10, with strong 17-7 (2009) and 12-7 (2010) records. The team earned first and second place finishes in the Southland Conference these two years. In his fifth season with the Mavericks (2011), Benitez led UTA to a 19-5 record, which broke the record for most wins in a season. Benitez's playing career consisted of two years on the professional circuit after closing out his four-year collegiate career at Texas Wesleyan. Prior to coming to the United States, the Caracas, Venezuela native competed on the South America-Europe International Tennis Federation Circuit for three years.