Ben Dorfman is in his fourth season on the Wesleyan football coaching staff, serving as the Cardinals’ running backs coach in 2025.
A member of the 2024 NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year, which marked the team's first-ever NESCAC Coaching Staff recognition, Dorfman helped lift the Cardinals to the team's best season in the modern era in 2024, as Wesleyan went 8-1, captured a third straight Little Three title, and culminated in the team's first-ever outright NESCAC Championship. Opening the year with a 43-7 drubbing of Middlebury on the road, that win marked the Panthers' biggest home loss in over 40 years. Wesleyan then held Tufts without a touchdown in a 20-9 triumph under the lights at home. After suffering their first defeat of the season to Bates in Week 3, the Cardinals rebounded with six straight wins to end the year. That six-game win streak started with 19 unanswered fourth quarter points to defeat Hamilton on the road 19-7. Jake Edwards returned a fumble 88 yards for a game-winning, walk-off overtime touchdown in a 23-17 win over Colby in Week 5. The Cardinals held off Bowdoin for a 17-14 road win before scoring 31 unanswered to defeat Amherst 31-14 in a game that Wesleyan trailed 14-0 in the first quarter. With a third straight Little 3 title on the line, the Cardinals drove over 90 yards down the field with less than two minutes to play in regulation, as WR Luke LaSaracina '25 hauled in a game-deciding touchdown with six seconds left as Wesleyan defeated Williams 25-24 in an epic clash to claim three straight Little Three Championships for the first time since 1946-48. Then in the season finale, Wesleyan's defense held Trinity scoreless in the second half, converting two lengthy fourth downs in pivotal moments in the fourth quarter, to defeat Trinity 27-17 in what was the de-facto NESCAC Championship game in Hartford.
Dorfman first came to Middletown after having spent the 2021 season as the tight ends coach for his alma mater North Carolina Wesleyan College. His first collegiate coaching experience came at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas as a running backs coach for six months (Jan. 2021 – June 2021).
While a student-athlete at North Carolina Wesleyan, Dorfman was a three-time USA-South All-Conference selection while he was named to the D3football.com All-Region Team in 2019. During that 2019 campaign, Dorfman tallied 28 catches for 246 yards and 3 TD. He was voted team captain twice (2018, 2019) and in 2019 was given the Team MVP Award. He was also a four-time Academic All-Conference recipient and graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in organizational administration.
