Heathwood Hall hires college assistant coach to lead its boys basketball program
Heathwood Hall went to the college ranks to fill its boys basketball coaching vacancy.
University of West Florida assistant coach Brian Benator will be the new Highlanders coach. Benator replaces longtime coach Jeff Whalen, who won more than 350 games and a SCISA championship in his 25-plus years at the school.
“My family and I are thrilled to be joining the Heathwood Hall Episcopal School and Columbia community,” Benator said in a release. “Heathwood Hall is one of the premier institutions in South Carolina, and we are looking forward to making the boys’ basketball program one of the premier programs in the state and the region. We have an abundance of talented student-athletes at Heathwood Hall, and I’m excited about working with them.”
Benator was one of five finalists for the Highlanders job.
Benator has been at West Florida, a Division II school in Pensacola, for the past eight seasons. Some of Beantor’s duties there included recruiting, assisting with scouting and game preparation, academic monitoring and working with the Argos’ post players.
Prior to West Florida, Beantor was an assistant coach at Division II Young Harris, was an assistant head coach at Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Virginia and was director of basketball operations at Chattanooga.
Heathwood is coming off a 6-21 season this year but had eight winning seasons in its previous nine years before this year.
“We will be a program built on connection, accountability, respect, enthusiasm, and sacrifice. Our student-athletes will bring toughness every day, play hard every single night, and have an unparalleled work ethic as we pursue championship performance,” Benator said. “Above all else, we will teach our young men to be great people, great students, and great stewards of the community.”
Benator will be one of three new head coaches at the school for the next year. Ricky Reetz was named the new football coach in April. The school has yet to announce a replacement for boys soccer coach Andrew Richardson, who will be leaving the school to start his own business and also will be an assistant coach for the Spring Valley boys program.
Midlands high school basketball openings
Boys Basketball
School — Former Coach — New Coach
CA Johnson — Terrell Manning — TBA
Fairfield Central — Jonathan Durant — Terrell Manning
Heathwood Hall — Jeff Whalen — Brian Benator
Pelion — David Smith — Will Hickson
Swansea — Chris Register — Lamont Britt
Westwood — John Combs — Trent Robinson
White Knoll — Darrick Cureton — Willie Thomas
Girls Basketball
Blythewood — Steve Inabinet — Emily McElveen
Columbia — Candace Bush — TBA
Dutch Fork — Faye Norris — Candace Bush
Northside Christian — Kristen Fortenberry — Jordan Leath
This story was originally published May 30, 2023 at 9:54 AM.
