Katherine Benes has been added to the Marian University women’s basketball coaching staff as an assistant coach.
“We are so excited to have Katherine join our program here at Marian,” said Head Women’s Basketball Coach Josh Ward. “Katherine played at a high level during her career and earned all-conference recognition in the NACC. She has won a conference championship in the league as well. She knows what it takes to not only compete but succeed, and I can’t wait for her to get started.”
No stranger to the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, Marian will look to tap in to her success as both a student-athlete and a coach in the conference. Benes joins the Sabre coaching staff after serving last season as a graduate assistant with Wisconsin Lutheran College. She helped lead the Warriors to a NACC Championship along with a berth in the NCAA Tournament where the Warriors nearly pulled off an upset of No. 5 Gustavus Adolphus falling in overtime. Along with her daily administrative tasks, she served as the head coach for the varsity-reserve team at WLC.
Benes spent one season competing at Concordia Chicago but it was a memorable one as she helped lead CUC to 12 wins, 10 of which were in NACC play. It was, and remains, the first season with double-digit conference wins since the 2017-18 campaign. Benes started in all 16 games she appeared in that season averaging 24.3 points per game with 45 assists, 23 steals, and 5.4 rebounds per game. She had at least 30 points in six games including a twice-accomplished career-high 38 points coming at Concordia Wisconsin and at Marian.
“I’m honored to join the Marian University women’s basketball program as an assistant coach,” said Benes. “I want to thank the staff and faculty at Marian University for giving me this opportunity. Most importantly, I want to thank God for opening the doors and leading me here, and of course, my family who has always pushed me to pursue my dreams of coaching at the collegiate level. My mission goes beyond the game. I’m here to be a mentor, encourager, and steady presence for these young women as they grow on the court and in life. I’m ready to pour everything I have into helping them exceed, and I’m excited to get to work!”
Benes began her coaching career spending one summer with Lake Country Lutheran, her high school alma mater where she remains the all-time scoring leader. During this time she planned and oversaw summer training programs for all teams including skill development, conditioning, and strategy. She then went on to spend one season with her collegiate alma mater, Concordia Chicago, as an assistant coach.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in strategic communications and media from Concordia University Chicago in 2024 and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in sport and recreation management at Wisconsin Lutheran.
