Bucknell University Athletics
Ben Landis Named Head Women's Soccer Coach at Bucknell
1/17/2005 7:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Jan. 17, 2005
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell University director of athletics and recreation John Hardt on Monday announced the selection of Ben Landis as head coach of the women's soccer program. Landis, most recently the head women's soccer coach at Dartmouth College, is a 1996 graduate of Bucknell and is a former assistant coach of the Bison.
Just the third head coach in the 15-year history of the women's soccer program, Landis started his coaching career at Bucknell as a student assistant coach under Toby Lovecchio in 1994 and 1995. He continued as an assistant the following fall after graduating with a bachelor of science degree in mathematics with a minor in education.
"We are excited to welcome Ben back to Bucknell," said Hardt. "His formative years in the coaching profession were spent at Bucknell, and his record of accomplishments at Lehigh and Dartmouth were also very impressive. Ben's intimate working knowledge of Bucknell and the Patriot League, and his hands-on experience recruiting high-caliber student-athletes to both Patriot League and Ivy League institutions, make him an ideal fit for the position."
"It is a great thrill to be returning to my alma mater" said Landis. "I enjoyed my experiences at Bucknell as an undergraduate student and as an assistant coach years ago and am proud to once again be connected with the University as a leader and teacher where I plan on giving my own student-athletes a great competitive experience and a well-rounded education. My previous professional experiences in the Patriot League and Ivy League confirm my belief in the educational fundamentals that are paramount at Bucknell."
"I'm equally proud to be working within an athletic department that shares those same ideals while also setting the bar for competitive excellence within the Patriot League and Division I. Our goal will be to compete for the league championship on a consistent basis so we can contribute to Bucknell's annual quest for the Presidents' Cup."
Most recently, the Breinigsville, Pa., native held the women's soccer head coaching position at Dartmouth. In two seasons at the helm of the program, Landis led the Big Green to a 16-12-6 record. In 2003, Dartmouth won the Ivy League with a 9-6-2 record and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament. It finished the season ranked third in the Northeast Region by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
Prior to taking over as head coach, Landis was an assistant at Dartmouth for three seasons. The Big Green qualified for the NCAA Tournament each year and finished the 2001 campaign ranked 13th in the country. They also finished 16th nationally in 2000 and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament in both 2000 and 2001.
In each of his five years at the Hanover, N.H., school, the women's soccer team received the NSCAA Team Academic Award by achieving a grade point average of at least 3.2 every season.
Before his five-year stint at Dartmouth, and after leaving Bucknell, Landis served as an assistant coach at Lehigh University for three seasons while obtaining his master's degree in business administration.
In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Landis has coached the Upper Valley Lighting Association Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 teams since 2000. Landis also conducted youth soccer clinics and served as co-director of the Dartmouth Cup, an annual club tournament for over 95 teams that served as the major fundraiser for the Dartmouth soccer programs.
From 2000-02 Landis served as camp coordinator for Dartmouth's soccer camps. Following that experience Landis became camp director of the Cook/Landis Soccer Academies that enroll more than 800 campers each summer.
A member of the NSCAA since 1996, Landis worked as a marketing intern with the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer in 1997.
Landis takes over a Bucknell team that posted a 7-8-1 record in 2004. The Bison finished sixth in the Patriot League standings with a 2-4-1 league mark and were still alive for a postseason berth going into their final regular-season match. Bucknell has an all-time record of 114-128-14, including a Patriot League title and berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2001.
Bucknell sponsors 26 intercollegiate sports, including 14 for women, at the Division I level (I-AA football). It is a charter member of the Patriot League and has won the league's all-sports championship in 11 of the 14 years it has been contested, including the last seven in a row. Bucknell led the nation with a 100 percent graduation rate in the 2003 survey and ranks third in Division I in producing Academic All-Americans.
