Why is President Benson leaving Coastal Carolina for WVU? Here’s how the schools differ
Coastal Carolina University’s President, Michael Benson, confirmed he’s leaving South Carolina for Morgantown, W.V. where he will serve as the next President of West Virginia University.
The new role will be a big promotion for Benson, who first joined CCU almost five years ago.
Why is President Benson leaving?
In a statement to The Sun News, Benson wrote that the decision to leave Horry County and CCU was difficult.
“We are very grateful for the time we’ve spent at Coastal Carolina University. Our family has adopted this community as our home. All three of our kids are attending Myrtle Beach High School this year and have made lifelong friends. So, the decision to leave for West Virginia University was difficult, but it also presented a once-in-a-career opportunity for me,” his statement read. “Having spent more than 30 years working in public higher education, I now have the opportunity to lead an institution that has three distinguishing elements: it is a Research 1 institution that did $275 million in research and development expenditures last year; it is a member of a Power 4 athletic conference (the Big 12); and it has an expansive academic medical center. WVU is also the flagship university of West Virginia and the state’s land-grant university, founded in 1867, making it one of the country’s oldest universities created by the Morrill Act of 1862.”
Will WVU give a higher paycheck compared to CCU?
One of the biggest differences between the two positions is the paycheck.
According to a copy of Benson’s employment agreement with WVU, he’ll be paid a base salary of $850,000 a year with the opportunity for annual raises based on his performance review.
A copy of his new WVU contract can be found here.
Benson’s original contract with CCU, which The Sun News obtained via the Freedom of Information Act, states that his original base salary when he started was $245,000 annually with an additional $60,000 a year housing allowance and an annual $145,000 salary supplement from the Coastal Educational Foundation.
On Jan. 1, 2021, an addendum changed Benson’s housing allowance to $50,000 annually with $155,000 from the CEF, but maintained his overall total annual compensation at $450,000.
A year later in 2022, CCU offered Benson a retention bonus and bumped his total annual compensation up to $575,000, according to a second contract addendum. The document states that if Benson stayed as university president through Dec. 31, 2028, he would’ve received $1 million. A third addendum offered to Benson in 2023 gave him an additional $115,000 a year from CEF as “supplemental compensation.”
The CEF also provided Benson with a recent leased full sized car, SUV or truck, his contract states.
WVU will also be providing Benson and his spouse with two vehicles to support his duties as president, his new contract states.
Part of Benson’s duties at WVU require him to live in the President’s House on campus. His agreement also states that WVU will reimburse Benson up to $100,000 for moving and relocation related expenses.
When Benson began at CCU, the college paid him $5,000 to cover moving expenses, while the CEF reimbursed him for up to $10,000, his original contract said.
His new contract with WVU starts on July 15, 2025 and ends on June 30, 2030.
According to a CCU spokesperson, the search for the university’s fourth president remains ongoing.
How much are Horry County officials paid?
Benson’s base salary with CCU is slightly more than how much the Horry County Administrator made in 2023, according to previous Sun News reporting.
Top 10 list of Horry County positions and their annual salaries from 2023:
- County Administrator Steve Gosnell - $253,000
- Master in Equity Alan Clemmons - $208,232.65
- Assistant County Administrator Randall Webster - $190,498.96
- Assistant County Administrator Barry Spivey - $187,088.94
- Assistant County Administrator John Gilreath - $187,088.44
- Director of Airports Judith Olmstead - $182,617.05
- President/CEO of Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation Sandy Davis - $172,430.4
- Sheriff Phillip Thompson - $158,348.82
- Probate Judge Randy Beverly - $153,464.48
- Clerk of Court Renee Elvis - $135,517.28
Editor’s Note: This story was updated to clarify that President Benson’s joined CCU on Jan. 1, 2021. (Updated 10:49 a.m. 3/26/2025).
This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
