Women's Golf Adds Kayla Benge as Assistant Coach
7/20/2026 12:50:00 PM | Women's Golf
MALIBU, Calif. — Pepperdine women's golf head coach Laurie Gibbs has announced the addition of Kayla Benge to the staff as assistant coach ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Benge comes to Malibu after serving as the assistant men's and women's golf coach at DePauw University this past season in Greencastle, Indiana.
"Kacey did a great job as our assistant coach for three years and we wish her continued success as the new head coach at Lipscomb," noted Gibbs. "Kayla came highly recommended for our assistant coach position and her experience as both a student-athlete and an assistant coach at DePauw will allow her to step in immediately and help our student-athletes continue to grow as competitive golfers and young women. We welcome Kayla and look forward to the players returning to campus in a month to prepare for the start of the 2026-27 season."
Benge spent this past season working with both golf programs at DePauw. The Tigers' women's team placed third at the NCAC Championship while the men logged a fourth-place finish in 2025-26. Benge helped guide Becky Williams to NCAC Player of the Year honors before Williams made the cut at the Division III NCAA Championships.
She began her coaching career serving as the head coach of her alma mater, Plainfield High School in Plainview, Indiana. Benge spent three years from 2023-25 at the helm of the girls' and boys' golf programs.
"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join the Pepperdine women's golf program," said Benge. "From the moment I spoke with Coach Gibbs, it was clear how special this program and university are. I'm excited to learn, grow and pour everything I have into helping our student-athletes succeed both on the golf course and in life. Go Waves!"
Benge wrapped up her collegiate career in 2022-23 at UNC Asheville, appearing in 11 tournaments and ranking second on the squad in scoring average (76.97). She recorded five top-20 finishes across the season while posting a career-high third-place finish at the Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate. She was named Big South Golfer of the Week following the performance and was a WGCA All-American Scholar honoree following the campaign.
She played the four seasons prior at Xavier, competing in 14 tournaments for the Musketeers. Across her undergraduate career, Benge was a two-time All-Big East Academic Team selection.
Benge was named Indiana Golf Player of the Year in 2024 following a runner-up finish at the Indiana Women's Open Championship and fifth-place showing at the Indiana Women's Amateur Championship.
She also placed top-10 in 2025 and 2026 at the Indiana PGA Women's Open. Her amateur wins include the 2023 Indiana Women's Amateur and 2021 IWGA Match Play Championship.
The Waves are coming off a very successful 2025-26 campaign, which saw the Waves earn a T-5th finish at the NCAA Championship while capturing the program's 22nd West Coast Conference championship.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S GOLF
Pepperdine women's golf has consistently been one of the top collegiate programs in the country under head coach Laurie Gibbs, exemplified by the current streak of 27 straight seasons with an NCAA Regional appearance. Having advanced to the NCAA Championships on 15 of those occasions, the Waves also boast 22 WCC Championships since 1998. Since the year 2000, 18 athletes have garnered All-American honors with a total of 36 selections.
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