General | 5/24/2016 1:12:00 PM

ELLENSBURG, Wash. (May 24) – Dave "Coyote" Benedict, a Central Washington Athletics Hall of Famer, passed away Monday morning.
 
"He was one of a kind," former CWU Men's Basketball Coach Dean Nicholson said.  "He was very instrumental in building our program up.  He was fun to watch, a good player, and a super athlete."
 
Benedict played two years of basketball under Nicholson at Central Washington.  In 1967, Benedict earned NAIA All-America Honorable Mention honors before earning a second team selection in 1968.  He helped lead the Wildcats to two NAIA National Tournament appearances.  In 1967 he earned the Charles Stevenson Hustle Award, given annually to the athlete in the tournament who shows the best hustle among the competing teams.    
 
"He played both ends of the floor well," Nicholson added.  "He was very tough defensively and a vital part of the team we took to Kansas City.  In his final year here we were able to go to KC and bring home a trophy.  We took third and he played a key role."
 
In his career at CWU, Benedict averaged 14.6 points per game.  He is fourth all-time in field goal percentage (.578), 12^th all-time in rebounding average (7.6), 15^th all-time in free throws made (222), and 20^th all-time in points per game.
 
Benedict ranks seventh all-time in field goal percentage for a single season, shooting at a clip of .588 in 1966-67.  He was inducted into the CWU Athletics Hall of Fame on May 21, 1984.
 
He was also a member of the baseball team and played on the 1968 team that appeared in the NAIA National Tournament. 
 
Prior to playing at CWU, Benedict played for Yakima Valley College from 1964-66.  In 1966, he was named NWAACC Tournament MVP, scoring 94 points in the tournament.  He was inducted into YVCC's Hall of Fame in 2010.  He holds the YVCC record for rebounds with 405.
 
Coaches and teammates recall their time at Central with Coyote with high praise.
 
"He was one of my favorite people," CWU Hall of Famer Billy North said.  "He was a man amongst boys in physical skill, but he was a kid at heart.  He had so much skill and he had fun playing."
 
In a different era of basketball, North highlighted Benedict's athletic ability.
 
"He jumped out of the gym in a time where not many people could dunk," North added.  "They wouldn't let you dunk anyway, but if they had, man he would have done it."
 
It wasn't just on the court that Benedict succeeded.  Following his graduation from Central Washington, Coyote spent many years teaching at Gig Harbor High School where he was beloved by his students.
 
"He was one of the most popular teachers there," Nicholson said of his former player.  "Dave lived a full life, so I'm sure he could relate to his students."
 
That sentiment was echoed by North.
 
"He was a great man from the day I met him and he always has been," North said.  "I've never met anyone else like him.  I truly appreciate him as a person.  "I accomplished a few things in my life," North added.  "He helped me accomplish a lot of what I have done.  He always treated me kindly and was just a wonderful person."
 
Benedict came to Central Washington in his mid-20's, a few years later than most recruits.
 
"He wasn't your average recruit," Nicholson said.  "He was 26 or 27 when he came to Central.  He'd been in the Navy, played for Yakima Valley, and was working down in Yakima.  That was a very different recruiting trip for me.  We were able to bring him on board and he became a vital player for us."
 
From the night Nicholson recruited him at Libby's Cannery, Benedict's legacy at Central Washington was cemented.  His success on the court, matched only by his outgoing and charismatic personality, forever lives on among the annals of CWU history.
 
"He may have been tough to coach at times," Nicholson finished.  "But I wouldn't trade it for anything."
 
He is survived by his wife Karen.