EASTON, Pa. – Ben O'Brien, the fastest coach in college basketball history to reach 100 career wins, has been named the Lafayette College women's basketball head coach, Director of Athletics Sherryta Freeman announced on Wednesday. O'Brien officially will be introduced to the Lafayette campus community at a press conference at noon on Monday in Pfenning Alumni Center.
The Leopards' newest mentor arrives on College Hill following a historic head-coaching tenure at the University of Scranton, where he compiled a 117-7 (.943) record over four seasons that included four conference championships (2023-26), two undefeated regular seasons (2023, 2026), four NCAA Tournament appearances (2023-26) and three Elite 8 stints (2024–26). During the 2026 NCAA Tournament run, O'Brien led Scranton to the NCAA Division III National Championship Game after using its Final Four appearance to snap NYU's 91-game winning streak.
"We are thrilled to be welcoming Ben O'Brien to the Lafayette community," Freeman said. "Ben is a proven winner who has demonstrated an unparalleled ability to build championship programs and mentor elite student-athletes. His historic success and commitment to recruiting and developing student-athletes make him the ideal leader to elevate our women's basketball program within the Patriot League. We are excited for the future of Lafayette women's basketball."
O'Brien earned D3hoops.com National Coach of the Year honors in 2026 and was a WBCA National Coach of the Year finalist in 2023 and 2026 when he also secured Landmark Conference Coach of the Year laurels. During his tenure at Scranton, O'Brien oversaw three All-America selections, two all-region honors, two all-region players of the year, an all-region rookie of the year, eight all-conference honorees, two Landmark Conference Players and Defensive Players of the Year and three Rookie of the Year selections.
"I am incredibly honored and excited to be named the head women's basketball coach at Lafayette College," O'Brien said. "I want to thank President Hurd, Director of Athletics Sherryta Freeman, and the entire search committee for this opportunity. My vision is to build a program that consistently competes for Patriot League championships while providing a transformational experience for our student-athletes — on and off the court. I can't wait to get started."
Prior to taking over at Scranton, O'Brien spent 14 seasons as the head girls' basketball coach and social studies teacher at Dunmore High School. He finished his high school coaching career with a 347-43 (.889) record, including 13 league titles, 10 district championships and two state championship game appearances.
A native of Dunmore, Pa., O'Brien earned his bachelor of arts degree in History from Penn State in 2004. He secured his teacher's certification in Secondary Education from East Stroudsburg, acquiring his Master's Equivalency in 2016.
O'Brien, 46, is the eighth head coach of the Lafayette women's basketball program since its inception in 1972 and the first male. He is married to his wife Mandy, and they are the parents of a daughter, Livvy, and a son, Ben.
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