Seton Hill has named former Army assistant and Westmoreland County native Ben Wilkins as its new men's basketball coach. Wilkins replaces Kendrick Saunders who was not retained following the 2021-22 season.

"I am pleased to welcome Ben Wilkins to the Seton Hill community as the new head coach of the Griffins mens' basketball program," said Seton Hill University President Mary C. Finger. "Ben brings a wealth of experience in college basketball at a variety of levels, and his enthusiasm for guiding players both on and off the court will be a tremendous asset to the young men he works with here at Seton Hill."

Wilkins, a Mount Pleasant native, spent the last six seasons as an assistant coach at the United State Military Academy at West Point. He was named the associate head coach last July. In his first four seasons, Wilkins and head coach Jimmy Allen produced the most wins in their first four seasons at Army since Mike Krzyzewski.

"My family and I are thrilled to be joining the Seton Hill community," Wilkins said. "Growing up in Mount Pleasant, it is exciting to come back home to western Pennsylvania. Our program will chase excellence on the court, in the classroom, and in the community. I cannot wait to get into the gym to work with our players."

While at Army, Wilkins oversaw a defense that held opponents to the lowest points per game in nearly eight seasons last year. He also served as the academic liaison for the program, as the Black Knights have excelled in the classroom under his guidance.

"I am excited to welcome Ben and his family to the Seton Hill University community as our next head men's basketball coach," athletic director Chris Snyder said. "In a very deep and talented applicant pool, coach Wilkins emerged as the best candidate to lead our program. Coach Wilkins is a proven recruiter, an excellent teacher of the game, and a proven relationship builder. I look forward to working with him as he develops and grows our program."

Prior to his arrival at Army, Wilkins spent four seasons at Mount St Mary's University, where he served as the associate head coach and defensive coordinator. Prior to that, he served as an assistant at William and Mary for six years and recruiting coordinator for four seasons under two-time Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year Tony Shaver.

Wilkins spent one season as video coordinator at his alma mater North Carolina State. Prior to that, Wilkins spent three seasons as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Barton College. His final recruiting class at Barton won three regular season and tournament championships in addition to the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2007.

Wilkins is a graduate of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina where he graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in History Degree.