Men's Basketball
Benford, Tony
Tony Benford
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach | Sixth Year
Tony Benford is in his seventh season at TCU, his fifth as associate head coach after starting as assistant head coach.
Benford has been a part of the Horned Frogs program that has seen many firsts, including three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances (2022-24) and wins in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments (2022-23). From 2021-2024, TCU finished a program-best fifth in the Big 12.
Under Benford’s guidance, the Frogs led the nation in fastbreak points in two-straight seasons (2022-24).
During the 2022-23 season, TCU was ranked for a program-best 15 consecutive weeks and appeared in the final AP Top 25 Poll for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 1987. Also that season, TCU recorded a program-best six wins against AP Top 25 teams.
During the 2021-22 season, Benford helped lead the Horned Frogs to five top 25 wins and their first NCAA Tournament win in 35 years with an opening round win over Seton Hall.
Under Benford’s coaching, TCU’s big men dominated in 2021-22 as the Frogs ranked first nationally in offensive rebound percentage, fourth in rebounding margin, ninth in offensive rebounds per game and 22nd in rebounds per game.
Benford was vital to Mike Miles Jr. attending TCU. The guard’s career was the most accomplished in the Jamie Dixon era as he was TCU’s first three-time All-Big 12 selection by the coaches and was a two-time All-Big 12 pick by the Associated Press. He was also a two-time NABC Second Team All-District 8 and USBWA All-District VII selection. Miles was also named to the Big 12 All-Tournament Team twice and left TCU ranked No. 15 all-time in scoring.
In Benford’s first season at TCU, he helped the Frogs defeat No. 2 Baylor, their highest-ranked win at home in program history. That season, Desmond Bane became the first All-Big 12 Conference First Team player at TCU. Bane later became TCU’s first NBA Draft selection in 25 seasons when he went 30th overall.
Following the season, Benford was No. 12 in Hoop Scoop’s ranking of the top 60 assistant coaches in the April issue of Basketball Times.
Benford came to TCU after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at LSU. While with the Tigers, Benford assisted the Tigers to making the postseason both years, the NIT in 2018 and the NCAA Tournament in 2019. In his final season with LSU, Benford assumed the role of interim head coach during postseason play and led the Tigers to the Sweet 16. LSU went 28-10 during the 2018-19 season, the most wins by the program since the 1999-2000 season.
He has shown his ability as an outstanding recruiter as evidence from his first season at LSU where he helped the Tigers land a recruiting class ranked fourth in the 247Sports.com composite rankings.
Benford has been part of teams that made 17 postseason appearances and has recruited and coached six NBA first-round draft picks: Ike Diogu from Garland, Texas (Arizona State, 2005); Charles Smith (New Mexico, 1997); Kenny Thomas (New Mexico, 1998); Lazar Hayward (Marquette, 2010); Jimmy Butler (Marquette, 2011); and Desmond Bane (TCU, 2020). Six other players have been selected in the second round of the draft including most recently, Tremont Waters (LSU, 2019).
Prior to LSU, Benford was the head coach at North Texas (2012-17). In his five years at North Texas, as the team transitioned from the Sun Belt Conference to Conference USA, Benford tried to mold his teams into hard-working defense units. In 2014-15, UNT held opponents to 68.2 points per game and just 42 percent from the floor, which ranked third and fifth in school history.
In his third season at the Denton, Texas school, his team blocked 153 shots, a school record and the squad’s defensive field goal percentage inside the arc of 44.3 percent was the lowest in the Sun Belt.
Benford served as the assistant and later associate head coach at Marquette (2008-12). In his distinguished career as an assistant he worked at New Mexico (1992-98), Arizona State (1998-06) and Nebraska (2006-08).
During that time, he was tabbed by Basketball Times, Fox Sports and Hoop Scoop as one of the country’s top assistant coaches in Division I basketball.
In six seasons with New Mexico, Benford helped the Lobos reach five NCAA Tournaments while winning 73.2 percent of their games. New Mexico picked up a pair of Western Athletic Conference tournament titles in 1993 and 1996, and a regular season championship in 1994.
During his stint with the Lobos, Benford coached the top four scorers in program history, including all-time leading scorer Kenny Thomas.
Benford assisted the Arizona State Sun Devils to four NCAA Tournament appearance during his tenure, including a second round appearance in 2003 and recruited Pac-10 Players of the Year Diogu and Eddie House (2000).
In two campaigns at Nebraska, the Cornhuskers won 37 games, highlighted by a trip to the NIT in 2008.
Benford helped Marquette, where he was associate head coach his last two seasons, to the NCAA Sweet 16 in both 2011 and 2012. He helped recruit six All-Big East players to Marquette, including 2012 conference player of the year Jae Crowder, a second-team AP All-American. The Golden Eagles won at least 20 games and reached the NCAA Tournament in each of his four years with the program.
Benford started his career coaching youth teams, including spending four years at All Saints School in Lubbock, Texas, where he served as head coach of the junior high squad.
A native of Hobbs, New Mexico, Benford played collegiately at Texas Tech and was the catalyst for the Red Raiders Southwest Conference regular-season and tournament titles in 1985, and their 1986 SWC Tournament championship. He earned All-SWC and SWC Tournament MVP honors as a senior. He was a fourth-round pick in the 1986 NBA Draft of the Boston Celtics and played professionally in Holland during the 1986-87.
He was a prep all-star, earning Converse All-America status and the New Mexico Player of the Year after pouring in 27.5 points per game as a senior for Hobbs High School. He led his team to the state title in his final season, earning MVP honors at the state championship tournament.
Benford and his wife Deborah have four children: Jeremy Soria, Audriana, Tony, Jr., and Milena.
Benford has been a part of the Horned Frogs program that has seen many firsts, including three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances (2022-24) and wins in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments (2022-23). From 2021-2024, TCU finished a program-best fifth in the Big 12.
Under Benford’s guidance, the Frogs led the nation in fastbreak points in two-straight seasons (2022-24).
During the 2022-23 season, TCU was ranked for a program-best 15 consecutive weeks and appeared in the final AP Top 25 Poll for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 1987. Also that season, TCU recorded a program-best six wins against AP Top 25 teams.
During the 2021-22 season, Benford helped lead the Horned Frogs to five top 25 wins and their first NCAA Tournament win in 35 years with an opening round win over Seton Hall.
Under Benford’s coaching, TCU’s big men dominated in 2021-22 as the Frogs ranked first nationally in offensive rebound percentage, fourth in rebounding margin, ninth in offensive rebounds per game and 22nd in rebounds per game.
Benford was vital to Mike Miles Jr. attending TCU. The guard’s career was the most accomplished in the Jamie Dixon era as he was TCU’s first three-time All-Big 12 selection by the coaches and was a two-time All-Big 12 pick by the Associated Press. He was also a two-time NABC Second Team All-District 8 and USBWA All-District VII selection. Miles was also named to the Big 12 All-Tournament Team twice and left TCU ranked No. 15 all-time in scoring.
In Benford’s first season at TCU, he helped the Frogs defeat No. 2 Baylor, their highest-ranked win at home in program history. That season, Desmond Bane became the first All-Big 12 Conference First Team player at TCU. Bane later became TCU’s first NBA Draft selection in 25 seasons when he went 30th overall.
Following the season, Benford was No. 12 in Hoop Scoop’s ranking of the top 60 assistant coaches in the April issue of Basketball Times.
Benford came to TCU after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at LSU. While with the Tigers, Benford assisted the Tigers to making the postseason both years, the NIT in 2018 and the NCAA Tournament in 2019. In his final season with LSU, Benford assumed the role of interim head coach during postseason play and led the Tigers to the Sweet 16. LSU went 28-10 during the 2018-19 season, the most wins by the program since the 1999-2000 season.
He has shown his ability as an outstanding recruiter as evidence from his first season at LSU where he helped the Tigers land a recruiting class ranked fourth in the 247Sports.com composite rankings.
Benford has been part of teams that made 17 postseason appearances and has recruited and coached six NBA first-round draft picks: Ike Diogu from Garland, Texas (Arizona State, 2005); Charles Smith (New Mexico, 1997); Kenny Thomas (New Mexico, 1998); Lazar Hayward (Marquette, 2010); Jimmy Butler (Marquette, 2011); and Desmond Bane (TCU, 2020). Six other players have been selected in the second round of the draft including most recently, Tremont Waters (LSU, 2019).
Prior to LSU, Benford was the head coach at North Texas (2012-17). In his five years at North Texas, as the team transitioned from the Sun Belt Conference to Conference USA, Benford tried to mold his teams into hard-working defense units. In 2014-15, UNT held opponents to 68.2 points per game and just 42 percent from the floor, which ranked third and fifth in school history.
In his third season at the Denton, Texas school, his team blocked 153 shots, a school record and the squad’s defensive field goal percentage inside the arc of 44.3 percent was the lowest in the Sun Belt.
Benford served as the assistant and later associate head coach at Marquette (2008-12). In his distinguished career as an assistant he worked at New Mexico (1992-98), Arizona State (1998-06) and Nebraska (2006-08).
During that time, he was tabbed by Basketball Times, Fox Sports and Hoop Scoop as one of the country’s top assistant coaches in Division I basketball.
In six seasons with New Mexico, Benford helped the Lobos reach five NCAA Tournaments while winning 73.2 percent of their games. New Mexico picked up a pair of Western Athletic Conference tournament titles in 1993 and 1996, and a regular season championship in 1994.
During his stint with the Lobos, Benford coached the top four scorers in program history, including all-time leading scorer Kenny Thomas.
Benford assisted the Arizona State Sun Devils to four NCAA Tournament appearance during his tenure, including a second round appearance in 2003 and recruited Pac-10 Players of the Year Diogu and Eddie House (2000).
In two campaigns at Nebraska, the Cornhuskers won 37 games, highlighted by a trip to the NIT in 2008.
Benford helped Marquette, where he was associate head coach his last two seasons, to the NCAA Sweet 16 in both 2011 and 2012. He helped recruit six All-Big East players to Marquette, including 2012 conference player of the year Jae Crowder, a second-team AP All-American. The Golden Eagles won at least 20 games and reached the NCAA Tournament in each of his four years with the program.
Benford started his career coaching youth teams, including spending four years at All Saints School in Lubbock, Texas, where he served as head coach of the junior high squad.
A native of Hobbs, New Mexico, Benford played collegiately at Texas Tech and was the catalyst for the Red Raiders Southwest Conference regular-season and tournament titles in 1985, and their 1986 SWC Tournament championship. He earned All-SWC and SWC Tournament MVP honors as a senior. He was a fourth-round pick in the 1986 NBA Draft of the Boston Celtics and played professionally in Holland during the 1986-87.
He was a prep all-star, earning Converse All-America status and the New Mexico Player of the Year after pouring in 27.5 points per game as a senior for Hobbs High School. He led his team to the state title in his final season, earning MVP honors at the state championship tournament.
Benford and his wife Deborah have four children: Jeremy Soria, Audriana, Tony, Jr., and Milena.
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