Joe DiBenedetto
Head Coach

Joe Di Benedetto enters his seventh season as the Timberwolves head coach after compiling an 123-179 record in six years at Northwood University.

Last season, Northwood finished with 19 wins. NU featured the GLIAC Freshman of the Year, Matt Shields and First Team All-GLIAC outfielder, D.J. Hughes.

In 2004, Di Benedetto guided Northwood to its first winning season since 1998, as the Timberwolves finished the year with a 25-24 ranking. NU earned regional rankings during the season, and featured First Team All-Region outfielder David Lamky.

The 2003 season saw Northwood finish 19-27 overall, and 9-18 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. The Timberwolves featured First Team All-GLIAC honoree Lamky and Honorable Mention All-GLIAC players, Justin Davis and Brett Gehringer.

The 2002 Timberwolves finished 15-37 overall and 6-23 in the GLIAC. The Timberwolves ranked seventh in batting (.285) and pitching (6.19 ERA) during the season. In addition, Northwood had the fourth-best season in school history with a .944 fielding percentage.

In 2001, DiBenedetto guided the Timberwolves to a 23-32 record and a seventh-place finish in the GLIAC. The season began with a 5-0 record. In addition, NU put together seven wins in eight contests from March 20 through March 31. The Timberwolves won two of three against Wayne State and then took three of four from Hillsdale.

NU posted a 23-29 record in 2000, recording a sixth-place finish in the conference. The highlight of the season was a pair of four-game sweeps over GLIAC foes Gannon and Westminster at home. The T-Wolves compiled a 13-9 record in their first season at Gerace Stadium including wins over Grand Valley State.

Before coming to Northwood, DiBenedetto coached for eight seasons at Northwood's Florida campus. During his tenure, the Seahawks reached the NAIA District playoffs six times and won 30 or more games in six straight seasons from 1994-99. He finished with a .567 winning percentage (217-166) and was instrumental in beginning the program in 1992. In addition to his coaching duties, Joe was athletic director in Florida and established seven varsity sports at the university.

DiBenedetto's first collegiate head coach experience was from 1989-91 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. He compiled a 96-51 (.653) mark in his three seasons, and he was named Georgia/Florida NAIA District 25 Coach of the Year in 1990. His 1990 club achieved a national ranking of 18th after a 35-9 season.

In addition to his coaching exploits, he has been active in numerous facets of amateur baseball. He is a long-standing member of the American Baseball Coaches Association and has served on the Florida Sun Conference Executive Committee. He has also worked many youth camps and clinics and is Co-Director of Baseball Heaven Camps held in Florida each summer.

Coach DiBenedetto resides in Midland with his wife, Tammy and their two children, Bradley and Hayley.

Brett Haring
Assistant Coach

Brett Haring is in his third season with the Timberwolves coaching staff. Haring works closely with the Timberwolves' pitching staff.

Haring played in the Cincinnati Reds organization for four seasons and for the Texas Rangers for a season. He was named the Reds minor league left-handed Pitcher of the Year by the Sporting News in 1999.

A Central Michigan University alumnus, Haring was named to the All-Regional Tournament Team as an outfielder for the Chippewa’s in 1995. Haring also earned academic All-MAC accolades while at CMU.

Haring graduated from nearby Coleman High School where he helped the Comets win a State championship. He earned Detroit Free Press All-State outfielder and was named to the Dream Team.

Haring currently lives in Midland with his wife, Jamye and his daughters, Logan and Kiley.