Delaney Benson's third season leading the Chapman women's lacrosse program saw an improved record with the team returning to the SCIAC Tournament.
Benson was originally hired as the Interim Head Coach for the women's lacrosse program prior to the 2024 season. After a successful season, the interim tag was dropped and Benson was hired into the permanent position before the 2024-25 school year. She enters her fourth season as Head Coach in 2026-27
Benson is the third head coach in the history of Chapman NCAA Division III program and the first woman to lead the varsity program. In her first season, she led the Panthers to a 9-6 overall record and a third-place finish in the SCIAC. She again led the Panthers to a nine-win season in 2026.
A native of southern California, Benson returned to the area after her lacrosse career took her from Colorado to Israel. As a student-athlete, Benson played collegiately for four years at NCAA Division II Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo. After graduating in 2020, Benson joined the Israel National Team and competed at the Women's World Championships in 2022. She earned the Spirit of Lacrosse Award at the world championships.
She has continued to play at an international level, helping Team Israel to a win Gold Medal at the inaugural Women's European Box Lacrosse Championships in 2026 as a defender. She will also serve as an Assistant Coach for Team Israel at the World Lacrosse Championships later this summer.
While in Israel, Benson committed to the Israel Lacrosse Association and became a Program Director for youth programs. She spent the next year and a half recruiting and introducing lacrosse to girls in Israel. She returned to the United States and coached for one year as an assistant at the College of Wooster, helping the Fighting Scots to an 11-5 overall record in 2023.
Since moving back to southern California, Benson has coached with the SoCal Express and Alliance Club in Orange County.
She earned her degree in Exercise Physiology in 2020 from Fort Lewis College.
