Reports: Michael Benson of Coastal Carolina is WVU’s top choice for president

News Release
February 21, 2025

West Virginia University has made its choice for the next president, and although the school has not released the name of its selection due to ongoing contract negotiations, an email from Coastal Carolina University has let the secret slip.

“The Coastal Carolina University Board of Trustees announces that university president Michael T. Benson has been extended an offer to become the next president of West Virginia University,” according to an email from Board Chairman H. Delan Stevens being widely reported Friday evening. “The selection of our sitting president by West Virginia’s flagship R1 institution, which also boasts an extensive academic medical center, is a testament to President Benson’s talent and leadership at Coastal Carolina University during the past four years.”

Prior to his stint at Coastal Carolina, Benson served as the president of Eastern Kentucky University from 2013-2020.

Here is the full statement from Stevens:

The Coastal Carolina University Board of Trustees announces that university president Michael T. Benson has been extended an offer to become the next president of West Virginia University. The selection of our sitting president by West Virginia’s flagship R1 institution, which also boasts an extensive academic medical center, is a testament to President Benson’s talent and leadership at Coastal Carolina University during the past four years.

The board has already called a committee to initiate a national search to select the University’s next president. Vice Chair Natasha Hanna ‘94 and Secretary/Treasurer Patrick Sparks ‘95 will serve as chair and vice chair of the Presidential Search Committee, respectively.

While we will certainly miss President Benson, I believe that his work, along with the work of the board and the University faculty and staff, has positioned us for tremendous opportunities in the days ahead. I am confident that the pool of candidates for the next president of Coastal Carolina University will reflect the remarkable growth and progress the campus community has achieved under his leadership.