OC Eric Kresser promoted to head coach
Benjamin didn’t wait long to find its new football coach.
Just two days after longtime coach Ron Ream retired, the school has promoted offensive coordinator Eric Kresser to lead the program.
Kresser, widely regarded as one of the area’s top quarterback trainers, has spent the past four years as the team’s OC and helped develop Louisville commit Jordan Travis into one of the country’s top quarterbacks.
“I’m excited,” Kresser said. “I think the school has a lot of potential. I’ve been here for four years, so I know how the system works. I’ve worked closely with Ron Ream and we’re going to keep it rolling. We’re going to set goals to win a state championship and we want to play all the teams in our local area and create some natural rivalries.”
Benjamin finished the season 8-3 with an appearance in the Class 3A regional finals in Ream’s 37th and final season as the school’s coach.
A Palm Beach Gardens alum, Kresser played quarterback at the University of Florida from 1992-95 before transferring to Marshall for his senior year. Playing with future NFL star Randy Moss, Kresser threw for 3,407 yards and 31 touchdowns as he helped lead the school to a Division 1-AA national championship.
He later spent three seasons in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals and then played in the Canadian Football League, NFL Europe and the German Football League.
Following his pro career, Kresser returned to Palm Beach County where he had assistant coaching gigs at Palm Beach Gardens, Dwyer and Jupiter. After spending two seasons as Jupiter’s offensive coordinator, he joined the Benjamin staff in 2014.
“It feels natural for me,” said Kresser of taking over the head coaching position. “I was an NFL quarterback, so leadership role is not new to me. I feel like I get along well with the kids, parents and the administration. I feel it will be a natural fit.”
In addition to his coaching roles, Kresser has also served as a private QB tutor, helping develop some of the area’s top passers. In addition to Travis, Kresser has worked with St. Thomas Aquinas’ Jake Allen (Florida), Dwyer’s Daniel Parr (FAU), Suncoast’s Matt Dame (Columbia) and Palm Beach Gardens’ J.P. Caruso (Delaware), among others.
While Benjamin will be tasked with replacing Travis at quarterback, the team returns a strong roster, including four-star junior cornerback Kaiir Elam, from last year’s standout team.
“I was really fortunate to take over a good situation. A lot of the times new coaches walk into a bad situation. I’m taking over for a living legend who’s coming off one of the best years in school history, so it’s a great year to step in.”