Coach Benjamin took the helm for Bunker Hill Community College in fall of 2002. He grew up in a soccer family in Oswego NY, where his father created the first youth soccer program in his home. In college Coach Benjamin captained the Oswego State Great Lakers to two NY State SUNYAC Championship contests, the college’s first bid to the ECAC tournament, and was the first player named to the NSCAA Academic All American team. He has a long history of coaching on all levels and holds NSCAA national and advanced national coaching diplomas. He has been the Region 21 Coach of the year six times and in 2010 was named the District Coach of the Year.

Since, Coach Benjamin’s time at BHCC the men’s soccer program has grown to be among the top team in the country. They have consistently finished ranked in the top 10 NJCAA in the last five years and in the last two years have been ranked in the NSCAA’s top twenty Junior College teams.

In 2012 the team posted its best finish ever with an impressive 19-3-1 overall record and was undefeated in league play. The team won the MCCAC state tournament and the NJCAA Region 21 tournament earning a second bid to the national championship tournament. This year the team won the first round and competed in its first national final four (semifinals). The team is currently ranked sixth in the NSCAA national poll, and fifth in the NJCAA poll. Overall the team has won six MCCAC state titles, competed in seven NJCAA Region 21 finals, won two regional titles (2010, 2012), played twice in the national tournament in the last three years, and has named five All Americans since 2009. In the past two years the team has posted just one loss in conference play.

Along with soccer coach Benjamin stresses academics. Over the past two seasons the team has posted a 90 percent academic retention rate. Over the past four years 35 players have moved on to play at Division III, II and I programs, with most earning academic and athletic scholarships.

Coach Benjamin is also very active in local youth soccer related programs. He serves on the local soccer boards of the Charlestown Youth Soccer for coaching education and on the Health and Wellness Board for America Scores after school soccer and literacy program in Boston.

E-mail: sbenjamin@bhcc.edu