The 2021-22 season is Benny Moss’ 11th on Cliff Ellis’ staff at Coastal Carolina University. He was promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach following the successful 2013-14 campaign.
In Moss’ time at Coastal Carolina, the Chanticleers have won two Big South tournament championships, advanced to a pair of NCAA Tournaments and played in a two CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournaments and three CBI Tournaments.
Moss helped lead the Chants to an 18-8 record in 2020-21 and an impressive 9-5 record in Sun Belt action. Following the season CCU advanced into the College Basketball Invitational Tournament where they finished as the runners-up to Pepperdine.
Junior DeVante’ Jones was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year after leading the Chants in scoring at just over 19 points per game. He also averaged over seven rebounds from his guard position while averaging a league-leading three steals per game.
The 2019-20 season saw the Chants jump out of the starting gates with a solid start which included wins over Middle Tennessee and Utah in the Myrtle Beach Invitational. CCU had Baylor on the ropes with a double-digit lead in the second half before a season-ending injury to Ebrima Dibba seemed to hurt the team chemistry leading to consecutive losses.
The Chants rebounded to win four consecutive games and five of its next six before more injuries hit the team to derail the season once conference play started.
CCU finished the season 16-17 overall and 8-12 in the Sun Belt. The Chants did manage to win their first round game of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament with a 63-62 road victory at UT Arlington.
Sophomore DeVante’ Jones became the Chants third player to reach All-Sun Belt status after being named to the second team following the season.
Moss and the Chants finished the 2018-19 season 17-17 overall and 9-9 in the conference. The season came to a close in the College Basketball Invitational. CCU defeated Howard at home and then went on the road to pull the 109-91 upset win over West Virginia in a game which saw CCU’s freshman DeVante’ Jones, the reigning Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year, score 32 points.
The season ended just two days later in a late road loss at DePaul 92-87 in the CBI semifinal game.
Senior Zac Cuthbertson picked up All-Sun Belt honors following the season to become the Chants second All-Sun Belt pick since entering the conference.
CCU finished the 2017-18 season 15-17 over and 8-10 in the Sun Belt. While the record does not look as good as it could have, it was not indicative of how the season went. 11 of the Chants’ losses were by seven points or less, including three losses at the final horn and three two-point losses and two more losses by one point.
Following the 2016-17 season guard Jaylen Shaw became CCU’s first All-Sun Belt honoree after being named to the second team.
CCU had another 20-win season and moved into the College Basketball Invitational where they won four games in making the tournament finals before falling in the championship at Wyoming.
In the Chants final season (2015-16) in the Big South, Moss helped oversee a 21-12 overall record with CCU finishing tied for third in the conference with a 12-6 conference tilt.
The 2015-16 season featured a 21-12 overall record (12-6 Big South) as Moss helped the Chanticleers to a semifinal appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. Along the way the Chanticleers earned the program’s first, second and third postseason victories with wins over Mercer, New Hampshire and Grand Canyon, respectively.
Along with non-conference victories over in-state foes College of Charleston and Wofford and two regular season wins over eventual Big South Tournament champion UNC Asheville, the 2015-16 season was highlighted by All-Big South honors for Shivaughn Wiggins and Elijah Wilson, while Tristian Curtis was named to not only the league’s all-academic team, but also the Big South Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Also of note during the season were Big South Player of the Week nods for Badou Diagne, Wilson and Wiggins. Diagne and Wilson also scored their 1,000 career points during the campaign.
The 2013-14 season proved to be CCU’s breakthrough season as the Chanticleers advanced to their third NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 1993. The Chants ended the regular season with an 18-12 overall record and an 11-5 mark in Big South Conference play. Coastal captured its first Big South Conference South Division Championship and then went on to win three-straight games in the VisitMyrtleBeach.com Big South Championships to earn its third Big South Tournament Championship and first since 1991.
Moss guided Warren Gillis to second team All-Big South Conference honors while Elijah Wilson was given an Honorable Mention. Wilson also was named to the Big South Conference All-Freshman team. Gillis went on to earn Tournament MVP honors while Josh Cameron was named to the All-Tournament team.
In 2014-15, Moss aided the Chanticleers to a 21-9 regular season record, including a 12-6 mark in Big South play to earn the No. 3 seed in the VisitMyrlteBeach.com Big South Basketball Championship. In the league tournament the Chants rallied for wins over UNC Asheville and Gardner-Webb before running away from Winthrop in the title game to secure a second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament -- a program first. Coastal was seeded 16th in the West Region and faced No. 1-seeded Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament.
In addition to a signature non-conference victory at Auburn and a 15-2 home record, 2014-15 highlights included Josh Cameron earning a pair of Big South Player of the Week awards, Warren Gillis surpassing the 1,000 career point total and earning second team all-conference and NABC All-District honors along with Elijah Wilson being named the Big South Tournament MVP after averaging 20.3 points per game.
During the 2012-13 season, Moss helped guide senior Anthony Raffa to first team All-Conference recognition. Raffa went on to play professionally in Europe following his senior season.
In Moss’ first season with Coastal the Chanticleers made their first trip to the CollegeInsider.com Post Season Tournament. The Chants compiled a 19-12 record including a 12-6 mark in Big South Conference play. Two Chants were named second Team All-Conference while one went on to be named second team All-District by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
Prior to Coastal, Moss served as the head basketball coach at UNC Wilmington from 2006-2010. After a 7-22 campaign in his first season in 2006-07, Moss engineered one of the biggest turnarounds in the NCAA when the Seahawks went 20-13 in his second year at the helm in 2007-08. During his stint at UNC Wilmington he finished with an overall record of 41-74.
Before being named the head coach at Wilmington, Moss served six seasons as the top assistant for Bobby Lutz at UNC Charlotte, where the 49ers compiled a 114-69 record during his stay.
During his six years at Charlotte, the 49ers won two league titles, posted three 20-win seasons and advanced to four NCAA Tournaments.
Moss lettered two years at UNCC under head coach Jeff Mullins before transferring to Pfeiffer, where he played and later coached under Lutz. He was named to the 1990 Sun Belt Conference All-Freshman Team at UNCC, earned Academic All-American honors and was voted to the 1993 Carolinas Conference All-Tournament Team at Pfeiffer.
Moss served as an assistant coach at Pfeiffer for three seasons as the Falcons went 71-22. Pfeiffer won a pair of conference titles, advanced to two NAIA National Tournaments that included a runner-up finish in 1995.
Moss earned his Bachelor’s Degree in business administration from Charlotte in 1992 and completed his M.B.A at Pfeiffer in 1994.
He and his wife, Dee Dee, have a son, Duane, and a daughter, Courtney.
