In five seasons at the charge of the Huskies’ women’s soccer program, Seth Benjamin ‘00 quickly revitalized the program. Upon his appointment as head coach by USM Director of Athletics Al Bean, Benjamin stated his intention to put his stamp on the women’s soccer program at his alma mater, and he has followed through.
Taking over the program in 2018, Benjamin led the Huskies to a record-setting season and earned 2018 Little East Conference Coach of the Year honors, guiding USM to a 14-5-1 overall record and a 5-3 mark in the LEC, while establishing a program record for wins in a season.
Just the second coach in USM program history (Steven Quinones, 2004) to earn LEC Coach of the Year honors, Benjamin and his 2018 team earned Southern Maine’s first postseason berth since 2013 and first post-season win since 2005, capping a remarkable turnaround from a record of 5-12 in 2017. In three full seasons (2018, 2019, 2021), Benjamin has led USM to a record of 34-19-5.
During the 2022 season, Southern Maine claimed its first Little East Conference regular season and tournament championship, and earned its first berth into the NCAA Division III tournament, finishing the season with a program record 17 wins, and goals in a season (65). Benjamin and his staff were named the Little East Conference Coaching Staff of the Year for the 2022 season. During the 2023 season, the Huskies repeated their championship run in the LEC and set a program record for shutouts in a season (14). In their second NCAA tournament appearance in program history, the Huskies earned the program's first tournament win defeating No. 10 Rowan University 2-0.
Benjamin resigned in 2024 as the program's all-time leader in wins with a record of 67-25-9 (2018-19, 2021-2023). During his tenure, University of Southern Maine women's soccer student-athletes earned All-Little East Conference honors 24 times, including 2022 Offensive Player of the Year Catriona Gould, 2022 Rookie of the Year Julia McKenna, 2022 and 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Mia Sargent, 2022 and 2023 Goalkeeper of the Year Bre Atwood. His players earned eight NSCAA All-New England/USC All-Region honors and Atwood became the program's first ever All-American following the 2023 season.
Prior to his post at New Hampton School, Benjamin was the head coach of the women's soccer and women's lacrosse teams at Green Mountain College (Poultney, Vermont) from 2011-2014, and was an assistant coach for the women's soccer team at Division I University of Vermont (2010-2011). During his time at Green Mountain College, Benjamin coached three players to NSCAA All-Academic Regional honors, and implemented numerous community outreach initiatives. At UVM, Benjamin assisted in a top-50 ranked recruiting class for 2011. In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Benjamin also has a decade of experience in the club circuit, serving as the head coach for the U-13 Girls' Summit FC (2012-14), and GPS NH Boys' (2016-18), and was a Region 1 Evaluator for the Olympic Development Program (2014-2016).
A former member of the Huskies' men's soccer team (1997-2000), Benjamin earned his bachelor's degree in History from Southern Maine, and then went on to earn his Master's degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration of Concordia University (Irvine, Calif.). Playing back and midfield for Southern Maine, Benjamin played in 66 career games in his four seasons with the Huskies. Benjamin holds a United States Soccer Federation National 'A' License, NSCAA Director of Coaching Diploma, and an NSCAA National Goalkeeping Diploma.
