Bradford, Pa. – The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford has announced that Melloni Benson has been hired as the new head coach of the women's Basketball program. She takes over for Kaserra Owens, who left the program for a job with the St. Bonaventure women's basketball team.

"I am very excited to announce the hiring of Melloni Benson as our new Women's Basketball coach," said Athletic Director Bret Butler. "Coach Benson has a wide variety of skills and experiences from all levels of basketball, including competing at the Division I level that will bring a new vision to the program."

Benson joins Pitt-Bradford from Central State University where she was the Assistant Woman's Basketball Coach last season and has served as the Interim Head coach since May. Benson has a long history coaching basketball as an individual skills trainer, and a High School and  AAU coach.

"I'm incredibly honored to be named the head women's basketball coach at Pitt-Bradford," said Benson. "It is an amazing opportunity to lead a program with a strong foundation and rich tradition. I look forward to working with these talented student-athletes, and to help them develop on and off the court," she added.

In her playing career, Melloni was a 4-year member of the women's basketball team at Division I Howard University. She played in 91 games for the Bison between 2003 and 2007, averaging 9.49 points and 4.63 rebounds per contest.

Coach Benson will look to create a culture of competition, unity, toughness, and integrity. "We want to instill a mindset that will help push our team to be competitive, disciplined, and prepared for any challenge they may face," she explained.

Benson is a native of Dayton, Ohio, and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Physiology from Howard and a Master's Degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University Irvine.