ERIE, Pa. - Penn State Behrend head baseball coach Paul Benim is one of eight individuals selected to be inducted into the 2011 Wesleyville, Iroquois and Lawrence Park Athletic Hall of Fame. The fourth annual WILP ceremony will take place on Saturday, September 10 at the Lawrence Park Golf Club. Former Steelers lineman Jon Kolb will be the keynote speaker.
Benim, a 1988 graduate of Iroquois High School, was a standout basketball and baseball player for the Braves. He also served as an assistant baseball coach at Iroquois for one year, leading the Braves to the ECL title in 1992.
Benim began his career at Penn State Behrend as the assistant women's basketball coach during the 1991-92 season, helping the Lions capture their first-ever ECAC Championship. He then was appointed the head softball coach for three seasons, before becoming the head baseball coach in 1996. Benim led the softball team to 82 wins, three straight postseason appearances, a national ranking and the 1993 ECAC crown.
The success from softball continued to translate on the baseball diamond. Benim just completed his 19th season with the Lions baseball team and earned his 400th coaching victory this year with a 20-6 win over D'Youville on April 15. He has led Behrend to four AMCC Championships, three NCAA Tournament appearances and two ECAC titles.
Benim joins Tom Crozier, Joe Sholtis, Mike Nemeyer, Mary Butler, Robert Corey, Mike Goard and Jean Forsyth as the Class of 2011 inductees.
