Mater Dei Prep Names Lance Bennett as New Athletic Director
Mater Dei Prep has hired Lance Bennett as its new athletic director, the school announced in a press release.
Bennett had been the interim athletic director since November when Denis Tobin resigned. He joined the school last year as part of head football coach Dino Mangiero’s staff.
“The appointment came as a direct result of seeing the clear impact Lance has had on the athletic program and in the Mater Dei Prep community over the past three months”, said assistant to the president Steven W. Andersen. “Lance has the full support of the administrative leadership team, the athletic affairs committee, and the board of trustees.”
“I'm extremely blessed to be in this role,” Bennett said. "Sports can teach so many life lessons while also vastly improving the landscape of where certain children will end up in college.”
Bennett is also Mater Dei Prep’s offensive coordinator/strength and speed coach, and coached a Seraphs’ unit that was second in the Shore Conference averaging 38.2 points per game. It was a banner year for Mater Dei in 2016, which completed a trio of firsts for the program by winning its first NJSIAA state championship and going 12-0. The Seraphs also won the Class B Central division title for the first time.
Bennett is a 2000 graduate of Poly Prep County Day School in Brooklyn where he played for Mangiero as a star running back, and later rejoined the program to coach alongside Mangiero. When Mangiero was hired as Mater Dei’s head coach prior to the 2016 season Bennett and several other members of the staff were also hired. He is a 2006 graduate of Indiana University where he was a standout kick returner and a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.
Managing editor Bob Badders can be reached at bob.badders@townsquaremedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Bob_Badders. Like Shore Sports Network on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel for all the latest video highlights.
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