Long-time Bellevue University (NE) head women’s basketball coach Dave Denly is out, and has been replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach James Benford. No official announcement yet by the school, but Denly has been removed from the website, and Benford is now listed as the interim.

Denly became the first-ever women’s basketball coach at Bellevue back in 2015. During his tenure, he was named the KCAC Coach of the Year three times and is the 16th-winningest women’s basketball coach in the NAIA.

Before coming to BU, Denly spent 17 seasons as the head coach at Southwestern while also serving as the school’s athletic director for six years. He compiled an overall record of 348-171 (.671), guiding his teams to eight consecutive 20-win seasons, setting school records along the way for both total victories in a season and conference wins in a season.

Benford, a Bellevue alum, had been an assistant to Denly for the past nine seasons.

Bellevue is currently 3-2 (0-1) on the season.

Tagged with: NAIA