PROVIDENCE, R.I. – JWU (Providence) Director of Athletics Dana Garfield has announced the hiring of Derrick Seldon II as the eighth Men's Basketball Head Coach in program history. He replaces longtime coach Jamie Benton, who stepped down last month following 22 years as the helm of the program.

Seldon arrives in Providence after serving as the Director of Basketball Operations at Yale University during the 2025-26 campaign. The Bulldogs posted their fourth-consecutive 20-win campaign last season (24-7), captured the Ivy League Regular Season Championship, and secured a berth in the IVY League Championship game for the eighth year in a row.

The 24 wins was the highest for the program in over a century (1906-07) as Yale produced both the Ivy League Player and Defensive Player of the Year in 2025-26. The Bulldogs coaching staff was tabbed Ivy League Coaching Staff of the Year in a season which culminated in an appearance in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT).

"After an extensive search, Derrick emerged on top from an incredibly talented and deep pool of applicants," said Garfield. "Derrick possesses the perfect combination of experience, passion and vision needed to guide our men's basketball program. His goals for the program align with the core values of Johnson & Wales and we are excited for what the future holds in store for this program under Derrick's leadership."

At Yale, Seldon led the accumulation and presentation of data analytics to evaluate team and player performance metrics, and also coordinated video operations that included daily practice film and post-game edits. Additionally, Seldon led the scheduling efforts for the 2026-27 season and organized alumni events, family, and community relations efforts.

"I am very excited for the opportunity to serve as the next Head Men's Basketball Coach here at Johnson & Wales," said Seldon. "Thank you to Athletic Director Dana Garfield, & the hiring committee for their belief in my vision and ability to lead this new era of Wildcat Basketball. As a New England native, it's an honor to be tapped to lead a program in my home region."

Prior to his arrival at Yale, Seldon spent four seasons as an assistant coach at the University of New Haven (2021-25). The Chargers accumulated a record of 63-56 during that span and earned a pair of trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament (2022 & 2023). The 2022-23 edition of the Chargers captured an East Regional title and advanced to the Elite Eight – both firsts for the UNH program. Seldon worked primarily with the forwards and centers, developed opposing team offense and personnel scouting reports, coordinated all recruiting operations, and managed team travel, budgets, and community outreach.

New Haven twice featured the No. 1 defense in the Northeast-10 (2022 & 2023) and closed the 2021-22 campaign No. 12 in the NCAA in overall team defense. Seldon helped produce five all-conference selections, including two-time NE-10 Defensive Players of the Year Majur Majak (2022-23) and NE-10 Rookie of the Year Jah'Likai King (2023-24).

"Learning from some of the best coaches in this industry has been pivotal in my development and prepared me to step into this role, and I am incredibly grateful for their guidance," added Seldon. "I've been very fortunate to be a part of championship cultures throughout both my playing and coaching career, and look forward to applying those experiences to our program here at JWU."

Seldon cut his teeth in the coaching profession as an assistant at his alma mater, Western Connecticut State (2016-18). Serving as a guard/wing position coach, he was responsible for monitoring in-game statistics and performance, composing opposing team scouting reports, supervising player skill development through pre-and post-practice workouts, and monitoring student-athlete academic progression.

A 2015 graduate of Western Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, Seldon began his collegiate playing career at Susquehanna University, where he appeared in 40 games over two seasons for the River Hawks. He went on to play his final two collegiate seasons at WestConn, which posted a 31-21 record during Seldon's two seasons. The Bloomfield, Connecticut native averaged 7.7 ppg and 3.6 rpg for the Colonials (now Wolves) over 51 games.

Seldon went on to receive his Master of Science in Sports Management from the University of New Haven in 2023. He was named the WestConn Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year and selected to The Little East All-Academic Team as a senior in 2015. That same year, Seldon garnered a Capital One Academic All-America nomination.

Seldon played professionally as a member of the EuroBasket Select Team – German Tour in 2016, and attended both the NBL Canada Windsor Express Invitational Try-Out (2017) and the NBA G-League Maine Red Claws Invitational Try-Out (2016 & 2018).

A New England native, Seldon resides in Connecticut with his wife, Brittany, and their son Derrick III (Tre).