Ben Greenspan was named Northwestern's Sidney and Mildred LaPidus Head Baseball Coach on Friday, August 18, 2023.
Greenspan joined the Wildcats after serving as the Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for Michigan during the 2023 season. Before his time in Ann Arbor, Greenspan was an Assistant Coach at Cal Poly in 2022. He has also spent seven seasons (2015-21) as an assistant at Arizona State, and six seasons (2009-14) on the coaching staff at Indiana.
In year one under Greenspan, the Wildcats improved all over the diamond. Northwestern jumped 114 spots in RPI, the eighth-largest improvement nationally. The Wildcats' record improved from 10-40 (.200) to 18-34 (.346), NU won nine road non-conference games in 2024–its most since at least 2000 and Northwestern's Fielding Percentage improved from .967 (13th in Big Ten) to .980 (1st in Big Ten).
Greenspan’s second season in Evanston saw continued development, with the Wildcats posting a record of 25-27 (.481), marking the program’s highest winning percentage since 2005. The Wildcats went 13-17 (.433) in conference play, posting their highest Big Ten winning percentage since 2019. Numerous records were broken, including the program’s single-season team (73) and individual (Ryan Kucherak, 18) home run records. On May 15, the Wildcats defeated No. 14 UCLA 9-4, NU’s first win over a Top 15 opponent since April 18, 2015 at No. 14 Iowa. Additionally, 3B Owen McElfatrick earned Second Team All-Big Ten and ABCA Second Team All-Midwest Region honors.
Previously named one of NCAA Baseball's Top Assistant Coaches to watch by D1 Baseball, Greenspan has played a key role in the recruiting and development of top prospects and MLB stars at each stop in his coaching journey.
As Michigan's recruiting coordinator in 2023, Greenspan brought in Perfect Game's 31st ranked recruiting class, a drastic improvement from the Wolverine's 85th ranked class in 2022. In his one year at Cal Poly, Greenspan mentored All-Americans Brooks Lee (Twins' 2022 first round pick, MLB.com's No. 18 prospect) and Drew Thorpe (Yankees' 2022 fifth round pick, No. 5 prospect).
Prior to joining Cal Poly, Greenspan spent seven seasons at Arizona State, including the last four as Associate Head Coach. Under his guidance, the Sun Devils earned NCAA regional berths in 2015, 2016, 2019, and 2021.
Greenspan oversaw a recruiting machine at Arizona State that netted five consensus Top 10 recruiting classes (Perfect Game, D1Baseball, and Baseball America) in a span of six years between 2016 and 2021. His 2017 recruiting class produced 13 MLB Draft selections, including first round picks Spencer Torkelson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, and Alika Williams.
Along with Torkelson and Williams, Greenspan led the recruitment of Giants' 2019 first round pick Hunter Bishop and class of 2016 recruits Gavin Lux and Bo Bichette, both of whom chose to forgo their Arizona State commitments and play professionally out of high school. 33 of his Arizona State recruits have been selected in the MLB Draft, including eight selections in the 2023 Draft.
Greenspan's coaching acumen was further highlighted during his six-year stint as an assistant coach at Indiana University, including his last year in 2014 as the recruiting coordinator. During his time in Bloomington, the Hoosiers earned three NCAA Tournament appearances, headlined by a trip to the Men's College World Series in 2013.
Working extensively with Indiana's catchers and hitters, he mentored MLB All Star and 2014 No. 4 overall pick Kyle Schwarber, while also aiding in the development of top-three round selections Josh Phegley, Sam Travis and the 2010 Big Ten Player of the Year Alex Dickerson.
As a player, Greenspan played at the University of Connecticut, where he was a catcher and first baseman before transferring to Indiana University. At Indiana, Greenspan was named team captain and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2007, his final season with the team.
He holds a bachelor's degree in Sport Marketing and Management and a master's degree in Sport Administration, both from Indiana.
Greenspan is originally from West Point, N.Y., and is married to his wife, Janine. The pair have two children, Grayson and Adalyn.
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What They're Saying About Greenspan
Tracy Smith: Head Coach at Michigan
I know I speak on behalf of the entire Michigan Baseball Family when I say, 'Congratulations to Ben and his family on his new position as Head Baseball Coach at Northwestern University.' I would be lying if I said it was not bittersweet. On one hand, I could not be happier for him because he has earned the opportunity through years of dedicating himself to the players and schools he has served. His reputation in the industry speaks for itself. He is ready for this opportunity! On the other hand, it is tough when you lose someone you have been with for so long. Ben played for me and then coached with me at three different schools spanning 16 years. I have watched him grow from a 'college kid' playing ball to one of the 'best assistant coaches' in the country. I can't wait to see the impact he makes at his new school and the Big Ten Conference.
John Savage: Head Coach at UCLA
Ben is an excellent choice to lead the Northwestern baseball program. He is an experienced, motivated, competitive, trustworthy coach that will be great for any player who has interest in joining the university. He has seen the entire country regarding player evaluation and will lead Northwestern Baseball with championship excellence."
Spencer Torkelson: Current Detroit Tigers 1B, former player at Arizona State
BG is the one that recruited me. He saw something that a lot of college coaches passed on, and to that I am forever grateful. He knows this game very well and has taught me a lot that I still carry with me today.
Kyle Schwarber: Current Philadelphia Phillies OF, former player at Indiana
The Greenspan family will be the perfect fit for the Northwestern Baseball program. BG's knowledge of the game, what it takes to win in the Big Ten/national stage, and how to get the best performance out of his players are things that he will bring to Northwestern Baseball. He will bring a team together and mold them into men for the next step in a baseball career and post-baseball. The impact he had on my career and others at Indiana was massive, and the lessons learned are things that I carry still to this day.