Notre Dame football names Butler Benton Assistant AD for Player Personnel
Marcus Freeman said on March 22 that Notre Dame would soon have a new Assistant Athletic Director for Player Personnel. Freeman called it a director of player personnel position back then. Tomato, toma-to. Same thing. Whatever you want to call it, it’s an important role.
Monday, the Fighting Irish filled it.
And it’s someone the program is familiar with — Butler Benton, who spent a year on Brian Kelly‘s staff as an assistant director of player development, engagement and academic enhancement from summer 2013 to 2014. 247 Sports was the first outlet to report Benton’s return to Notre Dame. A university spokesperson confirmed the news with BlueandGold.com Monday afternoon.
Benton, a 2008 Cincinnati graduate, arrives in South Bend for the second time fresh off a two-year stint as Arkasnas’ “General Manager” on Sam Pittman‘s staff in Fayetteville. Benton’s experience in the role he’s taking on at Notre Dame is extensive. He was Georgia Southern’s Director of Player Personnel in 2020, and he was Michigan State’s player personnel coordinator for four years before that.
A native of Detroit, Benton began his coaching career at Kent State as an internal operations assistant before his one-year stay at Notre Dame. Before Benton got to East Lansing to serve on Mark Dantonio‘s staff at MSU, he was the director of student-athlete enrichment at the University of New Orleans.
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In his playing days, Benton was a four-year player for the Bearcats. He amassed 389 carries for 1,736 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. He played for Kelly his final two years. In those seasons (2006 and 2007), Benton rushed for 497 and 499 yards, respectively. He also caught 16 passes for 154 yards and another score in his senior campaign.
Benton replaces Dave Peloquin in his new job at Notre Dame. Peloquin is still with the Irish program, but he’s serving in a new capacity. Benton will be more hands-on with current Irish football players, as the job title entails. With name, image and likeness (NIL) and everything else that comes with being a student-athlete in this era, Benton certainly won’t have any shortage of obligations on a daily basis.
