The Utah Jazz announced today that Marquis Newman, who has served as Stars general manager since the 2022-23 season, has been elevated to an expanded role as director of pro scouting in the Jazz’s front office. Katie Benzan has been promoted to the general manager of the Stars, becoming the youngest active GM in the NBA G League and the youngest female GM in league history at 27 years old. Benzan was the Stars assistant general manager and coordinator of pro scouting for the 2024-25 season. She will now also serve as the Jazz manager of pro scouting, ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Under Newman’s leadership, the Stars qualified for the G League playoffs in three consecutive seasons, where he played a key role in the signing of two-time NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas and oversaw the signings of two-way players Micah Potter, Oscar Tshiebwe, Jason Preston, and Elijah Harkless. The local Cyprus High School and University of Utah graduate also helped lead the hiring of former Stars head coaches Scott Morrison and Steve Wojciechowski, both of whom are now members of Jazz Head Coach Will Hardy’s staff. He began his career with the Jazz in 2014 as a basketball operations assistant and has steadily risen within the organization, joining the Stars in 2021 as assistant general manager under then-General Manager Bart Taylor, now the Jazz’s vice president of player personnel.
“The Stars are a vital part of our program,” said Jazz President of Basketball Operations Austin Ainge. “The development of our players and coaches is integral to our future success and Marquis has done an outstanding job leading that process over the past three seasons. I’ve gotten to know Marquis during his time in the league and have always been impressed with his basketball acumen. We’re excited for him to take this next step within our scouting department.”
Benzan, a former collegiate and WNBA player, served as the Stars assistant general manager and Jazz coordinator of pro scouting during the 2024-25 season, becoming the first woman in team history to hold a front office position. Benzan began her career with the organization as a basketball generalist for two seasons (2022-24).
“Katie is incredibly bright and has been diligent in studying her craft. She brings a unique perspective to our organization and has proven to be a valuable addition to our front office over the past three seasons,” said Justin Zanik, Utah Jazz general manager. “We are excited to see her lead the Stars and further strengthen the program’s role in developing our young talent.”
A native of Wellesley, Mass., Benzan began her collegiate career at Harvard University, where she earned All-Ivy League First Team honors all three seasons she played for the Crimson (2016–20). She later transferred to the University of Maryland, where she was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team and received AP Honorable Mention All-America honors.
Following her collegiate career, Benzan earned a roster spot with the Washington Mystics and, in 2022, became the first female Dominican player to appear in a WNBA game.
About the Utah Jazz
Founded as the 18th member of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1974, and located in Salt Lake City since 1979, the Utah Jazz are committed to excellence as a team and in the community. On the court, the Jazz are the second-winningest team in the NBA over the last 30 years, having won nine division titles and two Western Conference championships along with 17 seasons of 50-plus wins, and are supported by one of the most passionate fan bases in all of sports. The Utah Jazz also operate the Junior Jazz program, the largest and longest-running youth basketball league in the NBA, featuring more than 70,000 players and an additional 13,000 volunteers who take part annually across six states. For more information on the Utah Jazz, an entity of Smith Entertainment Group, visit www.utahjazz.com.