Coaching Staff


Mark Harriman  (head coach/QB/WR) is the 19th head coach in the 107-year history of the Bates College football program. A Westbrook, Maine, native, Harriman was the defensive coordinator at Harvard for four seasons before arriving at Bates. The 1997 Crimson was the only Division I-AA team ranked in the top five in rushing defense, pass-efficiency defense and scoring defense, helping produce Harvard's first undefeated Ivy League title. Harriman's efforts earned him American Football Quarterly's 1997 Division I-AA defensive coordinator of the year honors. Prior to his stint at Harvard, his defense helped Princeton win two Ivy League titles in three years. A 1980 graduate of Springfield College, Harriman was an All-New England linebacker.

Skip Capone (defensive line) enters his sixth season as a coach for the Bobcats. Prior to arriving at Bates, Skip was the head coach at Lewiston High School where he led the Blue Devils to two state Class A championships. Skip is also the director of the Central Maine Football camps. His recruiting areas are Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Greater Boston. Skip resides in Auburn with his wife Marie and two children Krysta and Matt. 


Scott Larkee (linebackers/strength and conditioning) begins his first season at Bates. A native of Waupaca, Wisc., Scott is a 1999 graduate of Harvard, where he played inside linebacker. He was a starter on  Harvard's1997 Ivy League championship team and was a second-team All-League selection that year. He graduated third on the Crimson's all-time career tackles list (243) and was the recipient of the Lamar Award, given to the Harvard football senior who, through dedication to the program and concern for his fellow man, has made a unique contribution to the team. Scott coached linebackers for two years at Bowdoin and was outside linebacker coach for the 2001 undefeated Harvard Ivy League champions.

Craig Vandersea (running backs/special teams) is in his fifth year at Bates. He is a 1990 graduate of Brunswick (Maine) High School, where he was a three-sport standout, earning All-State honors as a junior and senior. A 1995 graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where he played varsity football for four years, Craig was an assistant baseball and football coach at Norwich University and a football assistant under his father, Howard, at Bowdoin before joining the Bates staff as running backs coach. He is also the Bobcats' head baseball coach. Craig and his wife Nicole reside in Lewiston with their children Brenna and Nathan.


Jeff Vartabedian (offensive coordinator/offensive line) is in his fifth season at Bates, where he also coaches the men's lacrosse team. Before coming to Bates Jeff had stops at Cortland State, where the team qualified for the 1997 NCAA playoffs, Trinity College and Princeton University, where the Tigers won the Ivy League championship in 1995. Jeff is a graduate of Springfield College. He also earned his Masters degree at Springfield while serving as an assistant coach. His recruiting area is eastern Massachusetts. Jeff resides in Lewiston with his wife Danielle and daughter Savannah.

Steve Vashel (defensive coordinator/defensive backs), in his fourth season at Bates. He began his coaching career at Trinity College then returned to Springfield College, earning his Master's degree and serving as an assistant coach. Steve joined the Harvard University staff as outside linebackers coach before moving to King's College where he directed the defensive backfield and was the head freshman coach. His recruiting areas are central Massachusetts, New York City and New Jersey. Steve resides in Lewiston with his wife Cathy and son Ethan.