Kat Benton-LaEzza is in her second year as a member of the Chico State women’s soccer coaching staff. In her debut season with the Wildcats, she was an integral part of the team’s 10-3-5 record in 2021 and helped the program reach the playoffs for the fifth time in the last seven seasons.

Benton-LaEzza brought over a decade of coaching experience to Chico when she was named to head coach Kim Sutton’s staff in July, 2021. Prior to joining the ’Cats, she served as an assistant coach at Division I Kansas State, and as the head coach of her alma mater Kansas Wesleyan, Benton-LaEzza guided the Coyotes to a 27-11-4 record over two seasons. The 2018 season was especially memorable for Benton-LaEzza as she led Kasnas Wesleyan to an overall mark of 17-3-2 and an 11-0-1 conference record on the way to capturing both the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) regular-season and tournament titles. For that, she was awarded KCAC Coach of the Year, the first female, Latina and openly LGBTQ+ to achieve the honor.

Benton-LaEzza began her coaching career in 2009, logging five seasons as an assistant at Kansas Wesleyan, overseeing the program’s recruiting efforts while also serving as the head coach for the junior varsity team. She was also an active member of the Salina Soccer Club in Salina, Kansas, serving as a coach in addition to handling the program’s Director of Academies and Assistant Director of Coaching duties.

In 2013 Benton-LaEzza spent the first of several years as a head coach in the Kansas Olympic Development Program in Salina, leading the Sporting Kaw Valley Premier team while also serving as the organization’s Technical Director. For her efforts, Benton-LaEzza was named the Kansas State Youth Soccer Association Girls Competitive Coach of the Year in 2016.

In addition to holding several top coaching certifications, Benton-LaEzza was selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) prestigious “30 under 30” class in 2014–15, spotlighting the top 15 women and 15 men in the country as the best up-and-coming soccer coaches under 30 years of age.

As a player, Benton-LaEzza was a two-time letter winner and two year team captain at Kansas Wesleyan, leading the Coyotes to back-to-back KCAC regular season and tournament crowns, plus a pair of NAIA National Championship Tournament appearances. Her 2007 squad was the first in KCAC history to win the NAIA Region IV title.

Benton-LaEzza collected a number of honors playing at Kansas Wesleyan. She was a two-time All-KCAC First Team and NSCAA All-Region selection, and in 2007 was named KCAC Newcomer of the Year while earning an NAIA All-America Honorable Mention.

Benton-LaEzza received her Associate of Liberal Arts degree in 2007 from Santiago Canyon College in Orange, California, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kansas Wesleyan in 2009. She earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Sports Management from Kansas Wesleyan in 2011.

Benton-LaEzza has been married to her wife, Analina, since the spring of 2020. The couple reside in Chico with their golden retriever, Quigley Freud.