Paul Benavides finished his eighth season at UTEP as an assistant jumps and multi-events coach.
Benavides brings a wealth of jumping and multi-event experience from his time as a professional athlete, as well as a coach. He spent the past 13 years coaching in El Paso at Franklin High School coaching the men's and women's team (2005-2017). Benavides coached the track and field team to eight district 1-6A championships.
Under Benavides’s watch in 2025, Jakub Belik took his sixth consecutive CUSA high jump championship (three indoor, three outdoor) after winning the outdoor event in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Prior, he won the indoor title with a 2.15-meter leap in Lynchburg, Va. Belik leaped a season-best 2.18 meters at UTEP's Sun City Classic and at the Long Beach Invitational. Praise Djoma took gold in the triple jump (12.60m) and bronze in the long jump (6.13m) at the CUSA OTF Championships. Djoma also finsihed eighth in the triple jump at the indoor championships. Peace Ewa recorded a PR, 1.72 meters in the high jump to win silver in the women's high jump. Alla Parnov took CUSA gold in the women's pole vault at 4.02 meters and won the event at the Sun City Classic. Samoya Neil tallied points with a fourth-place finish at the long jump (6.11m) at the CUSA OTF Championships. Neil was seventh in the long jump (5.78m) at the indoor championships. Zacarias Velasquez was eighth in the long jump with a PR 7.43-meter leap at the outdoor championships. Oleksandr Blonskyi placed fifth in the decathlon at the CUSA OTF Championships.
In 2024, Belik came up with his best season being named the 2024 Conference USA Men’s Field Athlete of the Year. Belik advanced to the NCAA National Championships in the men’s high jump for a second consecutive season in Eugene. The junior leaped a personal-best 2.20 meters (7-2.5) at the NCAA West First Round to advance to historic Hayward Field. Before that, Belik was named the CUSA Outdoor Male Field Performer of the Meet as he captured gold in the high jump and the triple jump at the CUSA Championships at Kidd Field. Belik scored 20 points at the championships as the Miners finished in second place. Belik, a back-to-back outdoor CUSA high jump champion, leaped 2.15 meters (7-0.5) to capture gold. Belik followed with another gold-medal performance, this time in the triple jump with a 14.87m (48-9.5). It was his first time doing the triple jump since high school. The native of Jaromer, Czech Republic, has won four consecutive gold medals at the CUSA Championships (two indoor/two outdoor).
Belik was also named to the 2024 CUSA All-Academic team for a second consecutive season, while being honored as a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District.
Parnov, as a freshman, set a pair of school records in the pole vault during her first season with the Miners during the 2024 campaign. The Perth, Western Australia, native leaped a personal-best and school-record 4.15 meters (13-7.25) at the New Mexico Team Open while also setting the program standard and a personal-best with a 4.25-meter (13-11.25) leap at the 96th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. Parnov captured silver in the pole vault with a 4.17m (13-8.25) at the 2024 CUSA Outdoor Championships at Kidd Field. She also took silver at the CUSA Indoor Championships with a 3.98m (13-0.75) in Lynchburg, Va. Parnov opened her career with a 4.13-meter (13-6.5) leap in the indoor PV at the Stan Scott Memorial. Parnov took first place at the 2024 Arizona Spring Break Fiesta with a 4.15m (13-13.75).
Benavides mentored Belik to a sensational sophomore season in the high jump in 2023. Belik advanced to the NCAA Championships in the high jump, while also earning All-CUSA first team honors in the indoor and outdoor seasons. Belik leaped a personal-best 2.16m (7-1) to claim gold at the outdoor championships in the Denton, Texas. His mark ranks 10th on the program’s all-time list. Belik recorded a 2.14m (7-0.25) leap at the NCAA West Preliminaries to advance to Austin, Texas. Belik leaped 2.14m at the CUSA ITF Championships to claim gold in Birmingham, Ala.
During the indoor season, Belik recorded ninth-place and 15th-place finish before winning gold at the conference championships. Belik improved during the regular outdoor season, finishing in first place in four meets. Belik placed first at the Willie Williams Classic (2.10m), at the New Mexico Spring Invitational (2.07m), at the Bryan Clay Invitational (2.12m) and at the CUSA Championships.
Belik also earned 2023 CUSA Track & Field All-Academic honors.
Under Benavides's tutelage, Celina Johannsen opened the 2022 indoor season and her collegiate career by setting a school record in the indoor pole vault with a mark of 3.83m (12-6.75) at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Collegiate Invitational. The previous mark (3.75m) stood for 20 years. Belik opened his indoor career with a third-place finish in the high jump (2.11m, 6-11) at the Dr. MLK Invite. Belik placed fourth at the 2022 C-USA Indoor Championships. Belik finished fourth at the outdoor championships (2.00m, 6-6.75). Emilio Rios Jr. finished in fifth at the C-USA Outdoor Championships (1.95m, 6-4.75).
Paul’s son, Paulo Benavides, transferred to UTEP prior to the 2021 outdoor season after competing at Kansas for four seasons. Paulo competed for one season in the pole vault at UTEP and was named the 2021 Conference USA co-Men’s Field Athlete of the Year. Paulo took gold at the 2021 C-USA Outdoor Championships, posting a mark of 5.36m (17-7) and secured first team honors.
Paulo punched his ticket to nationals after soaring over with a mark of 5.45m (17-10.5) at the West Preliminaries in College Station, Texas. The Franklin High School graduate earned first team All-American honors at the 2021 NCAA Championships after clearing 5.30m (17-4.5) to earn a share of seventh place. Paulo was the first UTEP male pole vaulter to advance to national since 1998. Furthermore, he was the first UTEP male in the event to take home All-American accolades since 1986.
Benavides mentored Chantoba Bright to a third-place finish in the triple jump at the Conference USA Indoor Championships, third in the long jump and triple jump at the 2019 C-USA Outdoor Championships.
He helped guide Rios Jr. to a sixth-place finish in the high jump at the 2019 C-USA Outdoor Championships and fifth place at the 2019 C-USA Outdoor Championships.
Darius King registered a sixth-place finish at the C-USA Indoor Championships under Benavides's guidance.
Tutored freshman Etamar Bhastekar to a fourth-place finish in the pole vault at the 2018 Conference USA Outdoor Championships.
Over his professional coaching career, Benavides has mentored athletes over an abundance of top-tier competitions. In 2015, he coached in the Pan American Games and in the New Balance NFHS National Championships, while producing a champion in the pole vault. He’s coached five UIL Texas State Champions and qualified 18 athletes to the USATF Junior Olympic National Qualifiers.
Benavides established a profound professional career competing in the U.S. Olympic trials (1988 and 1992) and IAAF Athletics Championship (1993 and 1995). Benavides also held the Mexican National Record for 13 years in the pole vault registered at 5.72m (18-9.5). He was a two-time Mexican National Champion in the pole vault (1993 and 1994).
Making his return to his alma mater, Benavides spent two years coaching at UTEP, one being a graduate assistant coach. He helped the men’s track and field team to a Western Athletic Conference Championship during the 1995-1996 season. He coached Matt Hickl to a WAC Championship in the pole vault with a mark of 5.35m (17-6.75). That year the Miners scored the most points at a conference championship in the pole vault. That season, the Miners qualified two athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the pole vault.
During his athletic career at UTEP, Benavides captured the WAC title in the pole vault in 1984. He finished his athletic career at UTEP with a degree in kinesiology.
Benavides is married to Rita Benavides and they have four kids Paulo, Elyse, Isabella and Charlotte.
