The College of Staten Island Athletic Department has announced the hire of Jason McFall to a new position that combines head coaching duties for cross-country and track & field with coordination of athletic operations. A full-time position, McFall will begin his appointment as the Coordinator of Athletic Operations – Cross Country & Track & Field Head Coach in mid-January. Once on board, he will look to resurrect the cross-country programs while getting the Dolphins ready for varsity track & field beginning in the 2018-19 academic year. As Coordinator of Athletic Operations, McFall will oversee the overall CSI athletic schedule as it pertains to transportation, officiating, meals, contracts, and team equipment and supply ordering and correspondence.
“After completing a thorough search process, we believe Jason is the perfect candidate to jumpstart our Cross-Country and Track and Field programs,” said CSI Athletic Director Charles Gomes. “His reputation for developing quality student-athletes and his relationships in the running community will serve him well in this role as we hope to build a program that can compete both within the CUNYAC conference and the region.”
A Yonkers native, McFall is currently the Athletic Director and a Physical Education teacher at the Eagle Academy for Young Men of Harlem, doubling as an assistant coach for girls’ basketball with Bread & Roses High School. With plenty of cross-country and track experience, McFall is excited to join the Dolphins in such a critical and expanded capacity.
“I am truly humbled and excited to be a part of the CSI family,” McFall stated. “I’d like to thank the entire CSI athletics staff and faculty for embracing me in this endeavor. Being placed in this position at a special place such as CSI is a blessing for me and my family. Having the opportunity to lead CSI Cross-Country and Track and Field is a huge honor and responsibility, one that I will do my best to fulfill. I truly believe that CSI can be a major power in the CUNYAC for years to come.”
No stranger to the landscape, McFall served as the Head Men’s and Women’s Cross-Country/Track & Field Coach at Union County College from 2013-17, leading the team since its inception at UCC. There, he nurtured the development of 26 All-Americans at the NJCAA Division III XC/Track & Field Championships, leading 10 National Individual Champions and a national record holder. He also served as the NJCAA Vice-President for Track & Field, overseeing travel, training, facilities and scheduling of meets at the national level.
McFall gained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ, and later achieved his Master of Science degree in Health Sciences from Long Island University (Brooklyn) in 2001. Since graduation, he immersed into the running scene, first as an Assistant Track & Field Coach at New York University from 1998-00 and then as a Physical Education teacher and Head Coach of Girls’ Track at Greenburgh Central #7 School District in Hartsdale, NY, in 2001, a position he served in for five years. In 2005, McFall traveled to Bronxville as the Director for Men’s & Women’s Cross-Country at NCAA Division II Concordia College for the next two years.
The seasoned McFall is also familiar with the CUNYAC landscape, having served two tours at Lehman College as an Assistant Cross-Country and Track & Field Coach from 2010-12 and then again this past 2017 cross-country season. He will soon be completing a second Master’s Degree in Communications from FDU as well.
With coaching experience at many different levels and possessing a keen awareness for the operational duties required with this newest position at CSI, McFall seemed tailor-made for the opportunity, and knows that he can bring his expertise to the table, especially in the running-rich community of Staten Island.
“Staten Island has always had a rich tradition with some of the best athletic programs in the city and in the state,” McFall noted. “I plan on harnessing student athletes from Staten Island and abroad to build a contender not only at the CUNYAC level but at the regional and national levels as well. I truly believe that once CSI introduces a full component of track and field to pair with an already successful cross-country team, interest levels will rise and we will have a strong foundation moving forward.”
Cross-Country at the College is already CSI’s newest sports, added in 2007 on the women’s side and 2008 on the men’s side. It will be joined by a Track & Field program that started as a club offering a handful of years ago but will materialize alongside renovations slated to the CSI facility in time for varsity status in 2018-19. It certainly makes for an exciting time and McFall is eager to be in on the ground floor.
“My hope for our inaugural year is to be competitive. We may not be able to match some of the other teams in numbers, but what I hope and aim to produce are student-athletes who not only excel in the classroom, but on the track and field as well,” he said. “Every program has growing pains in the beginning, but using these core runners who will be the first in CSI history to don the uniform, they will be leaders and look to have their records broken by future runners for years to come. I truly believe that CSI Cross-Country and Track & Field will live up to the moniker, #FeartheFin.”
McFall will join the Dolphins’ staff in on January 16, and will take over the cross-country program from current Head Coach Robert Russo, who will stay on board and ease the transition until McFall’s start. CSI’s Track & Field team will continue as a Club, maintaining an abbreviated practice and play season during the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Student-athletes who are interested in running at CSI can fill out a Prospective Athlete Form, available HERE.
