CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Sam Benzing was named The Paul J. Finnegan Family Head Coach for Harvard Nordic Skiing today (June 27), as announced by Erin McDermott, The John D. Nichols '53 Family Director of Athletics.
 
"I am thrilled to welcome Sam to Harvard and look forward to watching her lead the Nordic Ski program," said McDermott. "She brings excellent experiences as a skier and a coach, as well as an educational background that will greatly benefit our students."
 
Benzing arrives at Harvard after two years as an assistant coach at the College of Saint Scholastica in Duluth, Minn., where she helped guide the Saints to a record-breaking season this past year. St. Scholastica had individual winners on both the men's and women's side at the NCAA Central Region Championship, with the men's team winning the team competition. St. Scholastica sent four competitors to the 2023 NCAA Skiing Championships in Lake Placid, N.Y.
 
"I would like to thank Erin McDermott and the hiring committee for their hospitality, belief, and welcoming support throughout the hiring process," Benzing said. "I am honored to be named the next Paul J. Finnegan Family Head Coach for Harvard Nordic Skiing."
 
A native of Boise, Idaho, Benzing has had impressive experience at the collegiate and national levels in the sport, most recently serving on staff with the U.S. Ski Team at the Falun and Lahti World Cup Ski races this past March and was a coach at the 2022 U.S. U-16 National Camp. Benzing was also recently selected as a participant at the 52^nd class of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy this past May and served as a Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) Tara VanDerveer Fellow, awarded to 10 collegiate assistant coaches annually in all sports and all divisions of college athletics.
 
Benzing was a four-year varsity athlete on the nordic ski team at Saint Scholastica, where she served as captain in 2020-21 and earned CCSA All-Conference and All-Region honors. She earned a master's degree in Psychological Sciences at the University of Minnesota-Duluth in May 2023.
 
Benzing replaces Chris City '94, who stepped down after 15 seasons at Harvard. City helped Crimson student-athletes reach the NCAA Championships in eight of the last nine years and 10 times overall, including junior Remi Drolet's national title in the men's 20km classic this past winter.
 
"Over the past 15 years Chris City continuously built a program that culminated in both academic and athletic success," Benzing said. "I am excited to build off this success by working with the rest of the Harvard staff to support the needs of college athletes inside and outside of athletics. Sports lay the groundwork for so many critical life lessons and college athletes are navigating their passion for academics, athletics, and various other life endeavors. We will set goals and values together, dream big, work hard, rest smart, overcome obstacles, and learn together along the way."