Robert Farrell, a 2001 Rutgers graduate, enters his eighth season with the men’s track and field team and first as the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country in 2019-20, having earned the promotion at the conclusion of the 2018-19 campaign. The 2015 and 2019 Mid-Atlantic Region Assistant Coach of the Year has been directly in charge of all jumps, throws and multi-event athletes during his time “On the Banks.” In his eight years, his student-athletes have captured 10 All-America honors, 12 individual conference titles and 37 NCAA Regional qualifications. Additionally, his student-athletes have broken 14 school records while garnering 11 conference "Athletes of the Week" awards.
Leading the Farrell-coached throws unit in 2018-19, Chris Mirabelli became a four-time All-American and three-time Big Ten Javelin Champion. Mirabelli returned to competition after sitting out a year due to a shoulder surgery and heart condition. He completed his outstanding come back with a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, earning Second Team All-America status.
Additionally, Farrell guided A'nan Bridgett to two Big Ten medals in his rookie campaign. Bridgett picked up a bronze medal at the indoor championships followed by a silver medal with Second Team All-Big Ten accolades at the outdoor championships. Seven Scarlet Knights from the throws and jumps crew qualified for NCAA Outdoor Regionals, including Mirabelli (javelin), John Mooers (discus), Perry Christie (high jump), Greg Harnett (javelin), Malachi Davis (triple jump), Jason Campbell (discus), and Bridgett (long jump).
In the indoor season, the Rutgers triple jump record fell twice within minutes. Davis first reset the mark with a leap of 15.62m (51' 3"). Tella then followed with a jump of 15.80 (51' 10") to become RU's record holder. At the 2019 IC4A Indoor Championships, Tella claimed the long jump title and Davis captured the triple jump title under Farrell's watch.
Guided by Farrell, Rudy Winkler shattered the Rutgers hammer throw record in his debut as a Scarlet Knight in 2018, following his transfer from Cornell as the reigning NCAA hammer throw champion. At the 2018 Big Ten Outdoor Championships, Winkler claimed the hammer throw title with a mark of 73.85 (242' 3"), breaking the Rutgers record for the third time and setting a Big Ten Championship record in the process. Winkler, the 2018 USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Field Athlete of the Year, went on to collect his fourth straight First Team All-America recognition, finishing fourth in the nation at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Winkler went on the claim the USATF Championship hammer throw national title, while also helping guide Team USA to the Athletics World Cup title with a fourth-place finish a month later.
Additionally, in 2018, Farrell helped establish six outdoor NCAA Qualifiers in Malachi Davis (triple jump), Tobi Tella (long jump, triple jump), John Mooers (discus), Matt Krezmer (javelin), Greg Harnett (javelin) and Winkler (hammer). The team also produced two individual champions, as Krezmer collected a bronze medal in the javelin at the Big Ten Championships and Tella earned the triple title at the IC4A Indoor Championships.
Christopher Mirabelli enjoyed an historic outdoor season in 2017, setting a school record in the javelin with a throw of 76.67m (251’ 6”) to capture the Penn Relays championships. Mirabelli also defended his Big Ten title in the event at the 2017 conference championships, and finished as a first team All-American with his eighth-place throw of 71.68m (235’2”) at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Emeka Eze broke a school mark during the 2016 outdoor season when he produced a mark of 15.92m (52’ 2.75”) in the triple jump at the Metropolitan Outdoor Championships. Thomas Carr earned a bronze medal in the javelin at the Big Ten Championships, while five of his student-athletes (Carr, Eze, Mirabelli and freshmen Perry Christie and Tobi Tella) were selected to compete at the NCAA East Regional in Jacksonville, Florida. Carr, Eze, Mirabelli and Christie all closed out 2017 at the USATF Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, California.
The Scarlet Knights enjoyed tremendous success during the 2016 season under Farrell, as Christopher Mirabelli and Corey Crawford both qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. There, Crawford secured First Team All-America honors in the long jump with a fourth-place result and Mirabelli finished as a Honorable Mention All-American in the javelin. Five RU field athletes were selected to the 2016 NCAA East Outdoor Regional event, while Crawford and Mirabelli each represented Rutgers at the U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field back in Eugene.
In conference action, Crawford and Mirabelli each collected Big Ten Outdoor titles in the long jump and javelin, respectively, with Crawford producing a school record in the event with a leap of 7.93m. Matthew Krezmer finished third in the javelin at the conference championships, while rookie Greg Harnett placed sixth as all three throwers contributed points towards the team total. Rutgers was the only school to have three athletes place within the top-eight of competitors at Big Ten’s.
Crawford, who also collected the Big Ten Indoor long jump title during the 2016 season, became the most accomplished long jumper in program history under the guidance of Farrell. Crawford finished his career as a four-time First Team All-American, with indoor and outdoor first-team recognition in both 2014 and 2015. The 2014 indoor national runner-up in the event, Crawford collected two Big Ten titles, two American Athletic Conference titles, three IC4A championships, two school records and one Penn Relays Championship during his career “On the Banks.”
During the program’s first season in the Big Ten Conference, Farrell mentored Emeka Eze to a Big Ten title in the long jump at the 2015 Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the first Big Ten title in program history. Eze was named First Team All-Big Ten for his performance. Josh Suttmeier also received conference recognition during the 2015 campaign, earning Second Team All-Big Ten accolades for his efforts in the javelin.
In addition, Farrell helped guide Thomas Carr and Christopher Mirabelli to appearances at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the javelin. Under the guidance of Farrell, Carr has captured two conference championships and one USA Championship while Mirabelli qualified for the 2015 Pan American Junior Championships this past summer.
Before arriving at Rutgers, Farrell oversaw all sprints, hurdles and jumps at Lafayette College. While there, Farrell guided student-athletes to 12 Patriot League Championships, including the fastest men's 100m and 4x100mperformances in Patriot League history. Under his tutelage, the Leopards placed in the top-six individually at the Patriot League Championships 52 times. He also mentored 71 performances that ranked among Lafayette's all-time top-10, with eight school records. In 2012, he coached the Patriot League Indoor and Outdoor Female Field Athlete of the Meet as well as the Outdoor Male Track Athlete of the Meet.
Farrell came to Lafayette after spending a year at Central Connecticut State, where he acted as the assistant women's track and field coach in charge of the sprints, hurdles, jumps and throws. While at Central, his student-athletes broke six individual schools records with 12 athletes qualifying for the New England Championships.
Prior to his arrival at CCSU, Farrell worked at Wagner College as an assistant coach for the men's and women's track and field teams. While in Staten Island, New York, Farrell tutored the Northeast Conference Long Jump Champion, the Most Outstanding Field Performer and the Most Valuable Performer. His athletes broke 12 school records during his tenure.
Before he made the jump to college, Farrell coached seven seasons at Toms River North High School. While at North, he coached 32 Ocean County Champions, 20 Shore Conference Champions, 44 State Qualifiers and five All-Americans. Twenty-eight school records were broken during Farrell's leadership.
The New Jersey native graduated from Rutgers with a BA in English, where he was a multiple BIG EAST Scorer, IC4A qualifier and Academic All-BIG EAST selection. He earned a Masters in Sports Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He currently holds a USATF Level II certification in Jumps and a USTFCCCA Academy Special Certification in Sprints, Hurdles and Relays.
Farrell resides in Toms River, New Jersey, with his wife Jessica and their sons, Tristan and Caden.
By The Numbers
2x USTFCCCA Regional Assistant Coach of the Year (2015, 2019)
2x USA Olympic Trials Qualifiers (2016)
5x Outdoor USA National Championship Qualifiers (2015 x2) (2017 x3)
7x Big Ten individual champions (Four different student-athletes)
4x Outdoor USA Championship Qualifiers (Tom Carr - javelin, Corey Crawford - long jump, Rudy Winkler - hammer throw)
2x Top 6 Performer at USA Champs (Rudy Winkler - hammer throw, champion, Corey Crawford - long jump)
10x NCAA All-Americans
37x NCAA Regional Qualifiers
14x School Records
1x Big Ten Medal of Honor
1x Junior USATF Outdoor Championship Runner Up (Chris Mirabelli - Javelin)
2x Junior Pan American Qualifier (Chris Mirabelli – Javelin, A’nan Bridgett – Long Jump)
27x All-East Honorees at the IC4A Championships
1st ever Rutgers Men's Big Ten Champion (Emeka Eze - Long Jump)
3x IC4A Champions
2x Individual BIG EAST Champions
2x Individual American Champions
10x Individual Conference Champions (Big East, American & Big Ten)
9x School Records - LJ (Indoor, Outdoor), TJ (Indoor, Outdoor), PV (Indoor, Outdoor), Weight Throw, Hammer Throw, Javelin Throw
2x Penn Relays Champion and 4x Runner Up (Tom Carr - javelin, Corey Crawford - long jump, Josh Suttmeier)
3x Mid-Atlantic Regional Athlete of Year
10x Big East and American Athletic Conference "Athlete of the Week" Honor
