Johnson & Wales University Providence

Ben Finnigan took over as head coach of the JWU (Providence) women’s cross country program upon its rebirth in 2023. The following season, he took control of the newly-formed women’s indoor & outdoor track & field and promptly guided them to the 2025 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Outdoor Track & Field Championship.

Following a second-place finish at the indoor championships in February, the Wildcats finished 25 points ahead of the second-place school to take the outdoor chip. Lulani Haslinger was named both Indoor & Outdoor Runner and Rookie of the Year, and the track programs combined to produce 29 all-conference performers. The cross country program, meanwhile, battled through injuries late in the season to finish third at the conference meet in November.

Finnigan came to JWU after one season as both the head men’s and women’s cross country and swimming & diving coach at SUNY Delhi, where he helped guide the Broncos to the 2021 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Women’s Cross Country Championship. Seven student-athletes placed in the top 15, two of whom garnered all-conference accolades, and the Broncos went on to place 13th at the NCAA Division III Regionals. For his efforts, the SUNY Delhi coaching staff received NAC Staff of the Year honors.

Finnigan was responsible for a myriad of responsibilities at SUNY Delhi. Tasked with the oversight of four varsity athletic programs, Finnigan coordinated all team travel and practice schedules, administered academic support and created training regimens, managed team budgets over $100,000, and spearheaded all recruiting efforts.

A 2019 graduate of Mount St. Mary’s University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, Finnigan went on to earn his Master’s Degree in Business Administration at Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y. He was a distance runner for the Mount track & field program specializing in the 1,500m run. Finnigan competed annually at the NEC Championships for Mount St. Mary’s, finishing sixth as a freshman and fourth as a junior in the event.

Finnigan completed his final year of eligibility at Wagner, where he helped the Seahawks to the 2019-20 Northeast Conference (NEC) Men’s Indoor Track & Field Championship – the first in program history. A member of three record-breaking teams (800m, 1,500m, 10,000), he went on to serve as a graduate assistant coach at Wagner, where he coached an NCAA Division I cross country national qualifier.