Scott Benzel - Senior Analyst/Offense - Football Support Staff

Scott Benzel

Title:
Senior Analyst/Offense
Email:
DukeFBRecruiting@duke.edu
Phone:
(919) 684-2635

Scott Benzel joined the Duke coaching staff in March 2026 and serves as a senior analyst working primarily with the offense.

Benzel has more than 20 years of coaching experience, including 16 as a defensive coordinator or head coach. During the last 12 seasons (2014-25) as head coach at Westminster College in Pennsylvania, Benzel led his program to eight postseason appearances, two conference championships and 11 consecutive winning seasons. In addition, Benzel mentored 12 All-Americans, eight Academic All-Americans and 101 all-league selections, including four conference defensive players of the year, one conference offensive player of the year and three conference newcomers of the year.

While leading Westminster from 2014-26, Benzel led the Titans to an 85-36 record, including a 66-28 conference mark. He achieved the highest national ranking in Westminster history in 2021 at No. 12. Prior to being hired, the Titans had a .440 winning percentage and only two winning seasons from 1998-2013.

Under Benzel’s guidance, Westminster captured the 2015 and 2016 ECAC James Lynah Bowls, the 2019 Clayton Chapman Bowl and the 2024 and 2025 Opendorse Bowls. The Titans also accepted invitations to the 2018 ECAC Clayton Chapman Bowl, the 2021 ECAC Bushnell Bowl and the 2022 ECAC Clayton Chapman Bowl, which was canceled due to weather.

In his Westminster tenure, Benzel and his staff constructed offenses that resulted in quarterbacks finishing with the second and third-most passing yards and touchdown passes in program history. Benzel’s wide receivers ranked first in career receptions and second in career receiving yards while his running backs landed fourth and fifth in career rushing yardage. Defensively, his Titans rank first, second and third in career defensive touchdowns, third in career sacks and fifth in career interceptions.

Prior to his tenure at Westminster, Benzel served as the associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator at Saint Francis University, where he helped improve the Red Flash defense from 120th to 10th in total defense at the FCS level.

He joined Saint Francis after spending nine seasons, including seven as a recruiting coordinator, as an assistant coach, at Robert Morris University. Benzel was elevated to co-defensive coordinator in January 2009. In his first two seasons as co-defensive coordinator, Robert Morris led the Northeast Conference (NEC) in total defense twice. In 2010, the Colonials allowed an average of 312.6 yards per game en route to a share of the NEC regular season championship and the league’s inaugural bid to the FCS playoffs. The Robert Morris secondary finished with 18 interceptions in 2010, the program’s highest total since establishing a school record with 20 in 1999. At Robert Morris, Benzel coached safety Robb Butler, who went on to play in the NFL.

Benzel’s first full-time coaching job was the 2004 season at Wittenberg University, where he served as defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator.

A native of Plum, Pennsylvania, Benzel was a two-year starter at Plum High School at cornerback and wide receiver. He was joined Plum’s Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2024.

Benzel completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Mercyhurst College in 1997 and later earned a Master of Business Administration from Robert Morris. He was a two-year starter at free safety for Mercyhurst and was named the Lakers’ defensive Most Valuable Player in 1996. He led Mercyhurst in interceptions and pass breakups in 1995 and 1996.

Benzel and his wife, Cyndi, have a daughter, Baylee, and a son, Everett.