The Bucknell soccer team edited its roster one last time before the start of the 1992 season. Ben Landis was the final man cut from the squad.
"Simply put, I was too short, too small, too slow," Landis stated. Whether such a self-deprecating analysis of the situation is entirely accurate, it is true that for the first time in twelve years, the 18 year-old Landis had no team to play for.
At this point, most college freshmen would cut their losses and move on, perhaps joining a club, improv team, or acapella group, but Landis was not willing to let soccer go so easily.
"Through my first year at Bucknell, I stayed in close contact with the men's coach who cut me and his former assistant coach, then the head women's soccer coach."
Over the next two years, Landis developed a relationship with the women's coach and soccer team, culminating in an offer to join them as an undergraduate assistant. After graduating from Bucknell in 1996, Landis stuck around one more year as a part-time Assistant Coach of the Bison.
"By that time, I was hooked," Landis said, "and knew exactly what I wanted to do with the rest of my life." The next three years were spent at Lehigh, where he earned his MBA in management and again served as an Assistant coach for the women's soccer team. In March of 2000, Ben Landis made his final move to date, settling in Hanover as the full-time First Assistant Coach.
For three more years, Landis worked under this title while his teams twice took home the Ivy League championship, qualified for the NCAA Tournament each season, and compiled a combined record 37-15-2 (16-4-1 in Ivy League play).
Upon the resignation of former Big Green head coach Erica Walsh, Landis was offered the position that he now holds, head coach of the Dartmouth women's soccer team. "This is the job I wanted," declared Landis, "It doesn't get much better for me than this."
However, inheriting a successful collegiate athletic program has its downside. Every year, team leaders graduate and freshmen must bond with upperclassmen, a difficult transition made no easier by the additional challenges of a new coaching staff (Angela Hind has replaced Landis as the Assistant Coach) and one of the toughest schedules in college sports.
Consequently, the Big Green opened the season 1-5. However, Coach Landis remains optimistic about returning to the NCAA tournament a sixth consecutive time.
"First of all, there are two ways our program can qualify for the NCAA Tournament. First, and foremost, is to win the Ivy League. This is always our top goal as a team and we are poised to battle for that championship regardless of how we start the season. The second way to earn an invitation to the NCAA Tournament is to be above .500 in your overall record and compete and succeed against strong competition."
"I'll never apologize for playing such a challenging schedule nor do I care what our record is before we start the Ivy League portion of our schedule. I'm most concerned about the way we play in October and November and have confidence that we'll succeed against strong teams, in and out of our league This year is no different."
This attitude has already started to rub off on his players. Following the slow start, Dartmouth has taken three in a row, the most prominent of which, an early test against then undefeated Princeton, ranked #19 in the country.
(Editor's Note: Dartmouth extended its unbeaten streak to four games with a 1-1 tie against Boston University yesterday.)
Of course, the recent wave of success comes as no surprise to Landis's players. Nicole Cameli and Colleen Kelly, both '07s, spoke about the hours their coach spends scouting opponents and preparing practices. They also remarked on the strong bonds Landis has encouraged between all team members, including himself. When asked what they thought of Landis, Cameli and Kelly answered eerily in unison, "He is the nicest guy you'll ever meet."
Dartmouth College is fortunate to have Ben Landis on its side. With determination, a strategic mind, love for the game and the admiration of his players, this first year coach will likely keep the Big Green women perennial Ivy League contenders for years to come. One more thing: when you see Coach Landis walking down the street congratulate him. He is a new father. "My wife just gave birth to our twin daughters, Isabella and Gabriella, on September 25th, and so life is just about perfect for us right now."
