Blue Demons Welcome Ben Hibbert to Track and Field Staff
9/16/2025 2:00:00 PM | TRACK AND FIELD
Hibbert joins Blue Demons after leading New Orleans program
CHICAGO – DePaul Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Dave Dopek announced the addition of Ben Hibbert to the Blue Demons' staff as assistant coach last week. Hibbert brings coaching experience from Indiana University and the University of New Orleans, where he progressed from assistant to interim head coach before serving as head coach of the track & field and cross country programs.
"After a summer-long search through 100+ candidates, we are thrilled to announce Ben Hibbert as the newest member of our DePaul Athletic Community and Track & Field staff," said Dopek. "Ben has had track & field success at several stops along the way, most recently while serving as the head coach at the University of New Orleans. Ben will bring a strong knowledge base in sprints and sprint hurdles, as well as his excellent leadership abilities to our programs."
Hibbert guided the Privateers from 2023 to 2025, first as interim head coach and then as head coach, earning distinction as one of the youngest head coaches in the country at age 25. Across his two seasons leading the program, he produced 15 school records, nine conference champions, three Conference Newcomer of the Year honorees, one Conference Freshman of the Year, one Conference Runner of the Year, nine NCAA West Regional qualifiers, and one NCAA Second Team All-American in John Adesola (110m hurdles). The women's team scored a program-record 93 points at the 2024 indoor conference championships, while the men tallied the second-highest total in school history with 56 points.
"Throughout this interview process, I was thoroughly impressed with Coach Dopek, his staff, and the vision he has for this program going forward," said Assistant Coach Ben Hibbert. "I look forward to working alongside this experienced group and contributing to the success they have already had. It is an exciting time to join the Blue Demon Family while we continue to push this program to the top of the BIG EAST Conference."
Before being elevated to interim head coach, Hibbert spent the 2022-23 season as UNO's assistant coach for sprints, hurdles, and jumps. That year, he coached athletes to 10 school records, two Southland Conference champions, one Conference Newcomer of the Year, and five NCAA West Regional appearances. All five of the Privateers' NCAA Outdoor East Regional qualifiers came from his event groups, including Southland champions in the 400m hurdles and women's long jump.
He began his collegiate coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Indiana University in 2021-22, where he coached NCAA 60m runner-up Rikkoi Brathwaite (6.52).
A 2020 graduate of Cal State Northridge, Hibbert earned his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sports Studies while graduating Magna Cum Laude. He went on to complete his Master of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sport and Coaching Science at Indiana in 2022, finishing with a 4.0 GPA.
"With this hire, I was looking to add experience, energy, and an ability to collaborate in a synergistic way," said Dopek. "It became clear, early on in the process, that these were attributes that Ben possessed. I am excited to see how Coach Ben will help the program continue to evolve as we move forward to ever higher levels of success."
"After a summer-long search through 100+ candidates, we are thrilled to announce Ben Hibbert as the newest member of our DePaul Athletic Community and Track & Field staff," said Dopek. "Ben has had track & field success at several stops along the way, most recently while serving as the head coach at the University of New Orleans. Ben will bring a strong knowledge base in sprints and sprint hurdles, as well as his excellent leadership abilities to our programs."
Hibbert guided the Privateers from 2023 to 2025, first as interim head coach and then as head coach, earning distinction as one of the youngest head coaches in the country at age 25. Across his two seasons leading the program, he produced 15 school records, nine conference champions, three Conference Newcomer of the Year honorees, one Conference Freshman of the Year, one Conference Runner of the Year, nine NCAA West Regional qualifiers, and one NCAA Second Team All-American in John Adesola (110m hurdles). The women's team scored a program-record 93 points at the 2024 indoor conference championships, while the men tallied the second-highest total in school history with 56 points.
"Throughout this interview process, I was thoroughly impressed with Coach Dopek, his staff, and the vision he has for this program going forward," said Assistant Coach Ben Hibbert. "I look forward to working alongside this experienced group and contributing to the success they have already had. It is an exciting time to join the Blue Demon Family while we continue to push this program to the top of the BIG EAST Conference."
Before being elevated to interim head coach, Hibbert spent the 2022-23 season as UNO's assistant coach for sprints, hurdles, and jumps. That year, he coached athletes to 10 school records, two Southland Conference champions, one Conference Newcomer of the Year, and five NCAA West Regional appearances. All five of the Privateers' NCAA Outdoor East Regional qualifiers came from his event groups, including Southland champions in the 400m hurdles and women's long jump.
He began his collegiate coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Indiana University in 2021-22, where he coached NCAA 60m runner-up Rikkoi Brathwaite (6.52).
A 2020 graduate of Cal State Northridge, Hibbert earned his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sports Studies while graduating Magna Cum Laude. He went on to complete his Master of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sport and Coaching Science at Indiana in 2022, finishing with a 4.0 GPA.
"With this hire, I was looking to add experience, energy, and an ability to collaborate in a synergistic way," said Dopek. "It became clear, early on in the process, that these were attributes that Ben possessed. I am excited to see how Coach Ben will help the program continue to evolve as we move forward to ever higher levels of success."
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