Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame
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Janos "Jim" Benedek was the first men's soccer player in school history to ever be named a First-Team All-American back in 1965. During his 1966 season, Benedek tallied 12 goals in 11 games, which ranks seventh all-time in single season school history.
During his All-American season in 1965, the Bombers posted a 10-1-1 record, which stood as the single season record for victories for 15 years. The .875 winning percentage is still tops in program history, as are the 64 goals scored.
Benedek immigrated to the United States from Hungary in 1963 and enroll at IC shortly thereafter. He would go on to play for the U.S. National Team in 1968 and scored one goal during a qualification match.
Benedek also served as head coach at Southern Methodist University for nine seasons from 1975-83 where he was the first coach in program history and guided the Mustangs to overall record of 119-31-15.
Benedek passed away in 2009 at the age of 67.
