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In her first season with the Bears in 2025, Benatar helped Baylor advance to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in program history. The Bears hosted NCAA Tournament action for the eighth time and advanced to the Round of 16 for the fourth time. Baylor finished the season ranked No. 15 nationally and rose as high as No. 4 in the NCAA RPI.
Benatar has been involved with the U.S. Soccer youth national team pathway since 2013 and currently serves as a U.S. Soccer National Talent ID scout, evaluating players for the U-14, U-16 and U-18 national teams at regional, national and international events. Most recently, she helped the U.S. U-17 National Team win the 2026 MIMA Cup title in Valencia, Spain. She also served as an assistant coach with the U.S. U-16 National Team during international camps in Spain and the Netherlands in 2025, as well as a domestic training camp in Chula Vista, California.
In 2024, Benatar helped the U.S. U-16 Women's National Team capture the UEFA Friendship Tournament title in Riva, Turkey. That same year, she was named head coach of the U.S. Women's Open Team for the 2025 Maccabi Games in Israel.
Before joining the Bears, Benatar spent three seasons on the coaching staff at Houston, where she helped guide the Cougars to their best start in program history during the 2023 campaign. She coached Alex Whitcraft to American Athletic Conference All-Freshman Team honors and Aryanna Jimsion to Big 12 All-Freshman Team recognition.
Benatar arrived at Houston after serving as head coach at Coppell High School, where she led the Cowboys to a 15-5-2 record and a third-place finish in Region 3 6-6A during the 2021-22 season. While at Coppell, she also served as an assistant coach for the NPSL's Denton Diablos, helping the club win the 2021 national championship.
Prior to Coppell, Benatar joined the North Texas staff as an assistant coach in 2015 and was promoted to associate head coach in 2019. In her first season with the Mean Green, North Texas posted a program-record 19 wins and 15 shutouts while capturing the Conference USA regular-season and tournament titles to earn an NCAA Tournament berth. During her tenure, she helped guide the program to eight Conference USA championships, including three regular-season titles, and four NCAA Tournament appearances in a five-year span. North Texas finished the 2018 season ranked No. 24 nationally.
Benatar was named the first head coach in Texas Woman's soccer history in 2001 and built the program from its inception over 13 seasons. She led the Pioneers to four Lone Star Conference Tournament appearances while coaching 47 All-Conference selections and six All-Region honorees. She also founded the Pioneer Power Sprint Triathlon and served as a kinesiology lecturer at Texas Woman's for 13 years.
Before her tenure at Texas Woman's, Benatar began her collegiate coaching career as an assistant coach at North Texas in 2000. The Mean Green won the Sun Belt Conference regular-season title that season, and she coached current Baylor head coach Michelle Lenard during her lone year on staff.
In addition to her collegiate experience, Benatar has spent more than 25 years coaching club soccer with Liberty FC, Sting Soccer Club, Solar Soccer Club, FC Dallas and Liverpool FC America. She also served as a coach for Region III of the Olympic Development Program, evaluating, coaching and mentoring some of the region's top players. Benatar has worked as a youth national team training coach at U.S. Soccer's Training Center in Dallas and has participated in multiple regional and national team camps.
Benatar holds a U.S. Soccer National "A" coaching license and a U.S. Soccer Level III Scout License. She is also a state-level course instructor and a U.S. Soccer "C" course instructor.
A graduate of Richardson High School, Benatar played two seasons at Arkansas before transferring to North Texas in 1996. She earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from North Texas in 1999 and a master's degree in exercise science in 2002.
Benatar and her husband, Will, have three children: Gabrielle, Fletcher and Phillip.
