Women's Head Coach Ben Smith

Birthdate: N/A
Birthplace: Gloucester, Mass.
Graduate: Harvard University

Ben served as head coach at his alma mater, Gloucester High School. Taking the next step he was an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and then onto Yale where he served as an assistant from 1976-81 under Tim Taylor. Taking a position closer to his native Gloucester, He spent nine seasons as assistant coach at Boston University, from 1981-90. When the head coaching position opened at Dartmouth College. Ben took the position but only for one season before being offered the head coaching position at Northeastern University. Smith guided the Huskies to a second-place finish in the 1993-94 NCAA Tournament. He guided his NU teams to a five-year record of 70-92-18. "Ben did a good job and we're sorry to see him go," athletics director Barry Gallup said. "But the foundation is there now. This is a much better job than it was five years ago. We have a new locker room, Matthews Arena has been renovated and the ice surface expanded and the coaches are getting new offices. This is definitely one of the best jobs in the East."

For Ben Smith the International USA Hockey call came early and often for both the men's and women's National and Olympic teams

He guided the U.S. Women's Select Team to silver medal at 1996 Three Nations Cup in Ottawa and a first-place finish at the 1997 Friendship Cup in China. He guided Team USA sweeps of Sweden, Norway and Finland in exhibition series. He coached team to silver at the 1997 Women's World Championship in Kitchener, Ontario, losing gold medal game to Team Canada 4-3 in overtime. He was assistant coach for three U.S. Men's National Junior Teams (1985, 1986, 1987), guiding U.S. team to first-ever bronze medal at the 1986 World Junior Hockey Championship in Hamilton, Ontario. He was a two-time coaching staff member of the U.S. Men's National Team. He was assistant coach for 1988 U.S. Men's Olympic Team.

Smith a 1968 graduate of Harvard University.
Inducted into the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999.
Picture on the left is Ben Smith receiving his induction crystal from ECAC Commissioner Joe Bertagna. Joe is a member of the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame Committee.
Head Coach Ben Smith and the 1998 United States Olympic Ice Hockey Team were honored as Athletes of the Year at a special dinner hosted by the Arthritis Foundation on Thursday, May 6, 1999 at Northeastern University in Boston.