Ben Barr - Hockey Coach - University of Massachusetts Athletics

Ben Barr

Title:
Associate Head Coach
Email:
benbarr@umass.edu
Phone:
545-5175

Ben Barr joined the Massachusetts hockey staff in April 2016 and enters his fifth season with the Minutemen in 2020-21 as associate head coach. In 2018-19, Barr helped the Minutemen win their first ever Hockey East Regular Season Championship and reach their first-ever NCAA Championship Game while setting a program record for wins with 31. The Minutemen followed up in 2019-20 with second-highest wins total in program history with 21 victories and were poised to make their second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance before the season was cut short. UMass finished eighth in the PairWise rankings and spent 22 straight weeks in the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls in 2019-20, while securing the No. 2 seed in the Hockey East Tournament.

Barr serves as the recruiting coordinator and coaches the defensemen at UMass. In 2018-19, The Minutemen’s defensive corps led the nation in scoring and the squad ranked in the top-five in team defense, allowing just 2.02 goals per-game. UMass’ defensemen collected a host of individual accolades as well, headlined by Cale Makar being named the 2019 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner as the nation’s top player. Makar was also named a CCM/AHCA First Team All-American, recipient of the Leonard Fowle (New England MVP) and Bob Monahan Awards (New England’s Best Defenseman), a unanimous selection for Hockey East Player of the Year and a Hockey East First Team All-Star. Marc Del Gaizo and Mario Ferraro garnered Hockey East Third Team All-Star recognition and Del Gaizo was voted to the Hockey East All Rookie Team. Following the conclusion of the 2018-19 season, Makar and Ferraro both signed NHL contracts with the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks, respectively. In 2019-20, The Minutemen’s defensive corps finished ninth in scoring nationally. Zac Jones was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie team and finished third nationally in scoring among freshmen defensemen. Jake McLaughlin was named a Hockey East Third Team All-Star and finished third in the NCAA in plus minus with a +27, signing with the Las Vegas Golden Knights organization upon the conclusion of the season.
In 12 years as an associate/assistant coach, Barr has served as recruiting coordinator with three programs that have gone on to reach the NCAA Championship game. Union and Providence both won NCAA Championships in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and UMass was the National Runner-Up in 2019. Barr has also been on the staff of two Spencer Penrose Coach of the Year winners, working under Nate Leaman at Union in 2011 and Greg Carvel at UMass in 2019.

From 2008-2011, Barr served as an assistant coach at Union. In 2011, the Dutchmen won their first ever Cleary Cup as ECAC Regular Season Champions. From 2012-2014, Union won two more Cleary Cups, three Whitelaw Cups as ECAC Playoff Champions, went to two NCAA Frozen Fours, and won the 2014 national title.
Barr spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Providence from 2011-2014. In 2013-14, the Friars qualified for their first NCAA Tournament in over a decade and lost in the regional final to Union College who went on to win the NCAA National Championship with many of Barr’s recruits. The Friars then won the NCAA title the following year in 2015.

A native of Fairbault, Minnesota, Barr coached for the USA Hockey Select 14 Team during the summer of 2008 and for the Select 17 Team in 2007. From 2005 to 2007 he was the head coach for the Capital Districts Select AAA PeeWee Major Hockey Team.

As a student-athlete for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Barr produced 64 points (25 goals and 39 assists) in 140 career games. He was the team’s most valuable player in 2002-03 and was given the team’s coaches award in 2002-03 and in 2003-04. He served as a captain during his senior season and again led the team in shorthanded goals (two) and game-winners (three). Barr’s senior season RPI won 22 games, the most wins for the program since 1999-2000.

As a four-year letterwinner, Barr was named to the Rensselaer Dean’s List four times and was on the 2004 President’s List. He was also selected to the ECAC All-Academic Team during the 2003-04 season.

A Class of 2000 graduate of Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep School, Barr was awarded the Williams Cup (best all-around athlete) as a senior. In 1999, Barr helped Shattuck-St. Mary’s win its first-ever USA Hockey National Championship.

Barr currently resides in Sunderland with his wife Tara and son Brooks.