St. Paul’s beloved longtime basketball coach and athletic director, Gene Bennett, was posthumously inducted into the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s (LHSAA) Hall of Fame during a ceremony in Baton Rouge on Jan. 23.

“Gene was a very humble person,” said Gene’s wife Gay Bennett in an interview with the Times-Picayune. “He thought his value to St. Paul’s was greatly overrated. He always said, ‘anyone of us could easily be replaced.’ He felt it was a team effort that made the school so great. He didn’t give himself any credit.”

Coach Bennett was a graduate of De La Salle High School and Tulane University. He then joined the faculty of St. Paul’s in 1962 as a coach and teacher. He later worked as athletic director from 1976-1991. During his tenure as athletic director, he had a hand in creating the school’s wrestling and baseball programs. During his two different terms as head basketball coach, Coach Bennett built a record of 450 victories and 13 state playoff appearances.

“I had the good fortune to be around him for over ten years. We worked together in basketball, and I played many rounds of golf with him,” said St. Paul’s basketball and golf coach, Luke Barwick. “Coach was the personification of class, character, and integrity. He was a gentle, compassionate man who had a deep faith in God.”

However, Coach Bennett’s talents were not limited to basketball. He also served as St. Paul’s golf coach for a number of years. His golf team earned 13 regional championships, 11 district titles, two state-runner up finishes, and two state titles in 1998 and 1999. Coach Bennett was also awarded Louisiana Athletic Director of the Year and Metro Basketball Coach of the Year in 1988. In 2006, The St. Paul’s gymnasium and half gym were renamed The Gene Bennett Sports Complex in honor of his impact on the school’s sports program over the years. He continued to teach American History until he became ill in May of 2010. Coach Bennett passed away in July of 2010 due to a heart-related illness.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Baton Rouge as part of the LHSAA’s annual convention. Coach Bennett was one of five coaches to be inducted into the Hall of Fame during the ceremony.