Gaston College hires new head basketball coach with 24 years of major college coaching experience

Gaston College president Dr. John Hauser has announced the hiring of a new head basketball coach who will bring more than 30 years of college coaching experience to the Rhinos' program.

Benny Moss, 54, comes to Gaston College after 13 seasons at Coastal Carolina, including much of last season as the Chanticleers' interim head coach. Also a former Charlotte 49ers player and coach, Moss has 24 years of major college coaching experience, including five as a head coach.

"The leadership of (Gaston College president) Dr. (John) Hauser and (Rhinos athletic director) Shohn (Doty) and the vision that they have for the program, the ability to be a head coach as well as help young men navigate this new world of college basketball because of the transfer portal is why I want to be here," Moss said.

A 1992 UNC Charlotte graduate who received his M.B.A. from Pfeiffer in 1994, Moss played collegiately at UNC Charlotte and Pfeiffer and has 31 years of successful basketball coaching experience with nine conference championships and 13 national tournament appearances.

"We are really excited and honored for Coach Moss to join our athletic staff," Gaston College president Dr. John Hauser said. "From NCAA Division I programs to small private college programs, Benny brings significant experience to Gaston College. His knowledge and proven skills at various levels are important for our program.
"Benny's unique coaching style and approach to advancing student-athletes to their highest level are attributes we value. His high level of creativity, passion and intensity is a great fit for Rhino Athletics as we continue to grow our athletic programs regionally and nationally."

Moss was a standout player at East Surry High School who played in the prestigious East-West N.C. Coaches Association All-Star high school basketball game after his senior year in 1988. He redshirted as a freshman at UNCC due to injury, then earned All-Sun Belt Conference freshman team honors in 1990 during a two-year career for the 49ers under head coach Jeff Mullins. He transferred to Pfeiffer for then-head coach Bobby Lutz and helped the Falcons to a pair of Conference Carolinas titles in his final two collegiate seasons of 1992 and 1993.

Moss remained at Pfeiffer as an assistant coach on Lutz's staff for three years as the school won two more league titles and finished as 1995 NAIA national tournament runner-up.

After coaching two years apiece at Phillips University in Enid, Okla., and Henderson State, Ark.., Moss reunited with Lutz to begin a six-year tenure as Lutz's assistant for the Charlotte 49ers. Charlotte won two league titles and advanced to the NCAA tournament in 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005 - the last four NCAA men's basketball tournament appearances in school history.

Moss then became head coach at UNC Wilmington in 2006. He guided the Seahawks to a 20-win season (only the 5th in history at the time) in 2008, which was the nation's biggest turnaround that season. It earned Moss runner-up in the Colonial Athletic Association coach of the year voting. Four seasons later, Moss moved over to become an assistant at Coastal Carolina from 2011 to 2023.

During Moss' tenure with the Chanticleers, the program made its last two NCAA appearances in 2014 and 2015, finished as runner-up in the 2021 College Basketball Invitational and he was promoted to head coach on Dec. 6, 2023, when legendary head coach Cliff Ellis announced his retirement.

"I'm a North Carolina guy. I grew up in Pilot Mountain in Surry County," Moss said. "And I've spent a lot of time recruiting this state. I recruited North Carolina for coach Lutz at Pfeiffer. When I went to Oklahoma and Arkansas, some of our better players I brought with me from North Carolina. In my time at Charlotte I recruited North Carolina players. The same at UNC Wilmington and Coastal Carolina, so I've never left my home state as far as recruiting ties - and I still have strong ties in the Charlotte area. I spent so much time in this area and it's going to be fun being back here."

Jermaine Williams, who served as Gaston College interim head coach last season, and assistant coach Blan Hodges will be remain with the program to make up Moss' Gaston College coaching staff.

"I look forward to working alongside those guys and helping them develop in their college coaching careers," Moss said.

Moss and his wife Dee Dee have a son (Duane) and a daughter (Courtney).