Head Coach Al Fereshetian

E-mail Coach Al Fereshetian at afereshe@bates.edu

Al Fereshetian has been the men’s cross country and track and field coach at Bates since 1995. During his tenure, Bates cross country runners have earned eight NCAA All-America awards, and the team finished in 10th place at nationals in 1999.

Fereshetian, a 1983 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, started his career as an assistant for the women’s track and field team at UNH before assisting at the University of Kansas from 1984 to 1988. As the head coach at Appalachian State University, Fereshetian’s men’s cross country teams won three Southern Conference championships from 1989 to 1994. In 2010, Appalachian State inducted Fereshetian into the ASU Athletics Hall of Fame. In 1994, his team placed fifth at the National Invitational at Penn State and was ranked 20th nationally among NCAA Division I teams. Fereshetian was the Southern Conference Coach of the Year three times for cross country and four times for track and field.

“I attempt to direct and orchestrate what our team does,” says Fereshetian, “but ultimately it is the team and each individual member that determines how successful we will be. Winning is nice, and it’s important, but there are many ways in which you can win. Knowledge and experience gained throughout the process will help individuals win in life.”