Staff Directory
Sam Bennett
- Title:
- Defensive Coordinator / Spurs
- Email:
Sam Bennett is in the first season as defensive coordinator after being hired in Feb. 2026. Bennett serves as ACU's defensive play-caller, and also coaches the spurs, which is linebacker/defensive back hybrid position.
Bennett spent the previous three years at UIW as the linebackers coach. He was elevated to co-defensive coordinator for the 2025 season.
The Cardinals went 9-2 in 2023, and 11-3 in 2024 when they reached the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs. Bennett coached an All-Southland linebacker in each of his three seasons: Tylan Foster (1st Team, 2023), Mister Williams (2nd Team, 2024), and Declan Williams (1st Team, 2025).
Bennett's path first crossed with Patterson and current ACU linebackers coach Conor Dubin when he worked as a graduate assistant at Arizona State.
Bennett was a two-year letterwinner at SMU under his father Phil Bennett, who was the defensive coordinator at Arizona State in 2017 which was the final year Patterson and Dubin were on staff at ASU. Phil Bennett was head coach at SMU from 2002-07, and also a defensive coordinator at Baylor, Texas A&M, TCU, Kansas State, Pitt and, most recently, North Texas from 2021-22.
Coaching History
2026 – ACU, defensive coordinator / spurs
2025 – UIW, co-defensive coordinator / linebackers / academic coordinator
2023-24 – UIW, linebackers / academic coordinator
2022 – UNT, senior defensive analyst
2021 – Hawaii, offensive tackles / tight ends
2020 – Hawaii, offensive line / run game coordinator
2019 – Arizona Cardinals, coaching assistant
2018 – Arizona State, offensive analyst
2016-17 – Arizona State, graduate assistant
2014-15 – Rice, graduate assistant
Bennett spent the previous three years at UIW as the linebackers coach. He was elevated to co-defensive coordinator for the 2025 season.
The Cardinals went 9-2 in 2023, and 11-3 in 2024 when they reached the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs. Bennett coached an All-Southland linebacker in each of his three seasons: Tylan Foster (1st Team, 2023), Mister Williams (2nd Team, 2024), and Declan Williams (1st Team, 2025).
Bennett's path first crossed with Patterson and current ACU linebackers coach Conor Dubin when he worked as a graduate assistant at Arizona State.
Bennett was a two-year letterwinner at SMU under his father Phil Bennett, who was the defensive coordinator at Arizona State in 2017 which was the final year Patterson and Dubin were on staff at ASU. Phil Bennett was head coach at SMU from 2002-07, and also a defensive coordinator at Baylor, Texas A&M, TCU, Kansas State, Pitt and, most recently, North Texas from 2021-22.
Coaching History
2026 – ACU, defensive coordinator / spurs
2025 – UIW, co-defensive coordinator / linebackers / academic coordinator
2023-24 – UIW, linebackers / academic coordinator
2022 – UNT, senior defensive analyst
2021 – Hawaii, offensive tackles / tight ends
2020 – Hawaii, offensive line / run game coordinator
2019 – Arizona Cardinals, coaching assistant
2018 – Arizona State, offensive analyst
2016-17 – Arizona State, graduate assistant
2014-15 – Rice, graduate assistant
Tuesday, June 30
Tuesday, June 09
Tuesday, May 12
Saturday, May 09
