Richard Bennett played soccer at Slippery Rock under legendary head coach Jim Egli for three seasons in 1962, 1963 and 1964. As a member of the men’s soccer program at The Rock Bennett helped lead SRU to 13 wins before graduating with his bachelor’s degree in 1965. In addition to his contributions to the soccer program, Bennett was also a member of the Slippery Rock baseball team for two seasons in 1963 and 1964.
Upon graduation from Slippery Rock, Bennett embarked on a career in education with the Ridgewood School District for 34 years before retiring in 2000. In addition to his teaching duties, Bennett was also a successful coach at Ridgewood as well as Midland Park High School in a variety of sports including soccer (28 years), golf (five years), girls basketball (13 years) and bowling (17 years).
Bennett’s accomplishments as a coach are numerous. The Ridgewood soccer team won 387 games, seven county titles and three sectional championships over his tenure. On the hardwood, Ridgewood basketball captured 212 victories and two county championships under his tutelage. He also racked up 325 wins and two county titles in bowling as well as a total of 266 wins as the head golf coach at Ridgewood and Midland Park.
Being inducted into the SRU Ring of Honor will be just the latest in a long line of Hall of Fame enshrinements for Bennett, who already belongs to the New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the New Jersey Soccer Hall of Fame, the New Jersey Golf Hall of Fame, the Bergen County Soccer Century Club and the Ridgewood High School Athletics Hall of Fame.
Bennett and his wife, the late Penny Bennett, have two children: Shawn and Whitney.
