Responsibilities: Provide individual counseling to student-athletes; work with teams to improve cohesion and performance; assist Danny White in the Leadership Institute; consult with coaches, sports medicine staff, nutrition, and administration regarding student-athlete needs; and provide 24-hour on-call coverage.

Joined VT Athletics Staff: 2007

At Virginia Tech: When he first started working in Athletics, there were only a handful of schools in the country that had a licensed psychologist working in the department. It took a while to get established and gain the trust of coaches and other staff as well as the student-athletes.The first couple of years, maybe 50-60 athletes came for services. Over time, those numbers have steadily grown—this past year almost 250 athletes sought services through the office. VT Athletics has served as a model to other schools trying to develop similar services.

Prior to Virginia Tech: Bennett worked in a psychiatric hospital.

Education: B.A. English, Centre College, 1981; PhD Psychology, University of Kentucky, 1995.

Of Note: Bennett played baseball during his time at Centre

Personal: Bennett grew up in Lexington, KY but has called Blacksburg home for the past 21 years. He enjoys hiking, working out, and playing golf.

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