dbeard@domininopost.com
MORGANTOWN – WVU announced on Monday morning that Michael T. Benson, currently president of Coastal Carolina University, will be WVU’s next president, its 27th.
His employment term will start July 15 and will run through June 30, 2030, according to his contract, which was provided to The Dominion Post. His base salary will be $850,000 per year; current President Gordon Gee’s salary is $800,000.
Benson’s name had been circulated on social media on Friday, following an initial post by MetroNews’ Hoppy Kercheval. The Board of Governors announced the selection of a new president late Thursday but was withholding the name until the contract was signed.
In Monday’s announcement, WVU said Benson brings three decades of academic and administrative experience in higher education to his next role.
“I am honored to be named president of West Virginia University — one of our nation’s oldest land-grant institutions,” Benson said. “My 30-year career in public higher education has prepared me for this singular opportunity, and I wish to thank the Board of Governors for the trust they have placed in me and hope to earn that same level of trust and support from the entire WVU community.”
WVU will be Benson’s fifth presidency. Before arriving at Coastal Carolina in 2021, he served as president of Snow College, Southern Utah University and Eastern Kentucky University.
During his tenure at Coastal Carolina, WVU said, Benson secured a $10 million gift, the largest in the school’s history, and he worked closely with community partners and policymakers to advance initiatives that benefited CCU.
“I’m looking forward to bringing that same approach to West Virginia as I meet with people from across the WVU System, and from city hall to the State Capitol, along with West Virginians from communities across the state and our incredible network of alumni around the world,” Benson said.
WVU BOG Chair Rick Pill said Benson’s success in accelerating student enrollment and fundraising to record levels at CCU and his commitment to building strong partnerships is among the factors that led to his selection as the next president at WVU.
“As we look to advance our university and adapt to the fast-evolving world of higher education, the role of our university president is more critical now than ever,” Pill said. “On the heels of securing record-high retention numbers, maintaining a strong financial footing, developing positive student success programming and raising unprecedented dollars through the WVU Foundation, West Virginia University remains the formidable, flagship, land-grant institution that we all know and love. We look forward to Dr. Benson’s leadership in continuing to guide us on this upward trajectory.”
After Gee announced his planned retirement – his term ends at the end of June – WVU began its presidential search in May 2024.
“We are beyond thrilled to welcome Dr. Michael T. Benson to the Mountaineer family,” said Patrice Harris, WVU BOG vice-chair and chair of the Presidential Search Committee. “As our presidential search officially closes and we turn the page to begin a new West Virginia University chapter, we express our sincere appreciation and gratitude for all those who participated. The WVU community’s collective feedback helped us find a leader who exemplifies the right values and qualifications to serve at the helm of West Virginia’s flagship university. We can all be proud of the search process.”
Benson earned his doctoral degree in modern history from the University of Oxford, St. Antony’s College. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Brigham Young University, a master’s degree in nonprofit administration from the University of Notre Dame, and a Master of Liberal Arts from Johns Hopkins University.
Benson has also held faculty appointments at the University of Utah, the University of Notre Dame and Johns Hopkins University, and has taught at each institution where he served as president, including Coastal Carolina where he is a professor of history.
Born in Utah, Benson was raised in Texas and Indiana, and worked and studied abroad for more than six years in Italy, England and Israel. He played basketball at both BYU and Oxford.
He is the author of several books, including “Daniel Coit Gilman and the Birth of the American Research University,” published by the Johns Hopkins University Press in 2022. Forbes Magazine named it among the best higher education books in 2023.
Benson also authored “College for the Common Wealth,” for which Gee wrote the forward.
“I believe in leading by example,” Benson said. “I’m enthusiastic about getting started and ready to collaborate with the faculty and staff as we create the best possible teaching, learning and living environment for every Mountaineer student.”
Benson and his wife, Debi, are the parents of three children — Truman, Tatum and Talmage. He has two older children from a previous marriage, Emma and Samuel. An avid traveler, he has visited all 50 states and five of the seven continents.
