Bennett graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in education in 1978, and was a second-team All-Southwest Conference defensive end as a senior in 1977. He began his coaching career at A&M in 1979 as a part-time defensive ends coach. Since then, he has also held coaching positions at TCU (1982 & 1997), Iowa State (1983–'86), Purdue (1987–'90), LSU (1991–'94), a second stint at A&M (1995–'96) and Oklahoma (1998).