As his first official week as Gophers athletic director draws to a close, Norwood Teague has made an important hire. The U of M announced David Benedict -- who worked under Teague at Virginia Commonwealth and has been serving as the school's interim AD since Teague's departure -- is following his boss and will be the executive associate AD at Minnesota.

Benedict, who like Teague has a background in fundraising, is expected to begin his new role at Minnesota on July 9.
"David is a star," Teague said in a press release. "I have a long working relationship with him and he is a superior person and a great addition to our staff. I want to emphasize that David is an addition to our staff. We have a long way to go and a short time to get there and he will be a key element in this process. This is a great move for Gopher Athletics and a great move for him. I could not be more excited that David has agreed to join us."
Benedict previously worked as an associate AD at Arizona State and Long Beach State. He has a bachelor's degree from Southern Utah, where he played football, and a master's in sports management from New Mexico Highlands.