Football
- Title:
- Player Personnel Coordinator
- Email:
- football@msu.edu
- Phone Number:
- 355-1647
Butler Benton III, a Detroit, Michigan, native and former four-year letterman as a running back at Cincinnati from 2004-07, enters his fourth season on the full-time staff at Michigan State as the player personnel coordinator. Benton works alongside executive director of player personnel Sheldon White on the structure and direction of recruiting related projects, and assists with the prospect evaluation process. He also mentors current student-athletes with a focus on personal development, academic performances and career planning.
The 32-year-old Benton arrived at Michigan State in March 2016 after serving as director of student-athlete enrichment at the University of New Orleans for a year and a half. He previously spent 15 months as the assistant director of player development, engagement and academic enhancement at Notre Dame. Benton assisted in implementing programming to promote the intellectual, social and spiritual development of Irish football student-athletes. Prior to his stint at Notre Dame, he worked for nearly two years at Kent State as an internal operations assistant.
Benton was a four-year letterwinner (2004-07) as a running back at Cincinnati, earning three of his four letters while playing for Mark Dantonio. Benton rushed 379 times for 1,736 yards (4.6 avg.) and 11 touchdowns at Cincinnati. He also had 34 career receptions for 348 yards (10.2 avg.) and two scores. As a senior in 2007, Benton led the Bearcats in rushing with a career-best 499 yards on 100 carries and scored two rushing TDs. He gained 101 yards on 12 carries in the season opener against Southeast Missouri State. Benton set career highs with 16 catches for 154 yards (9.6 avg.). As a junior in 2006, Benton ranked second on the Bearcats in rushing with 497 yards on 108 attempts (4.0 avg.) and his four rushing TDs tied for the team lead. In 2004, he finished second on the team in rushing with 453 yards on 100 carries (4.5 avg.) and scored four TDs. Benton set career highs with 25 rushes for 127 yards against East Carolina.
Benton, a three-time all-city selection at Martin Luther King High School in Detroit, rushed for more than 3,000 yards during his prep career.
He earned his bachelor of business administration in finance from Cincinnati in December 2008 and received his master of arts in sport and recreation management from Kent State in May 2013. He married Jennifer Passmore in July 2019.
