ALBANY, N.Y. – Russell College Athletics announced the hiring of Rich Marcello (Foster, R.I.) as its next head men's and women's cross country and track and field coach.

Marcello, the 2022 NCAA East Region Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year, most recently served as an assistant coach at the University of San Francisco. Before heading to the Golden State, he was a sports scientist at Sacred Heart University's Pioneer Performance Center. He was also an instructor in the undergraduate and graduate Exercise Science programs at his alma mater.

I am honored to be named the next Head Coach of Cross Country and Track & Field at Russell Sage College," commented Marcello.  "I specifically wanted to thank Jim Lyons and the entire search committee for believing in what I can bring to this program.  I immediately felt Russell Sage was a tight knit community that I couldn't wait to be a part of.  The Future of Sage Athletics is exciting and I'm thrilled to be a part of that growth."

"Russell Sage is pleased to add Rich Marcello to our amazing team of coaches coming into the 2026-2027 season," added Lyons, the RSC Director of Athletics.  "Rich has achieved success at every stop in his coaching career and most importantly, he has shown a strong ability to recruit the northeast, and New York in particular.  He immediately connected with everyone he met during the interview process and is ready to hit the ground running as the team gears up for the fall cross country season."  

Marcello was the Head Cross Country Coach and Assistant Track and Field Coach at Southern New Hampshire University from February 2022 until November 2023.  At SNHU, Marcello was named the 2022 NCAA East Region and NE10 Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year after his women's team won the 2022 NE10 Cross Country Championship and the 2022 NCAA East Regional Championship, qualifying the team for the NCAA Championship. 

Marcello also helped the track and field program win three NE10 Conference Championships while coaching 14 NE10 Conference champions in every event from 1500 to 10,000 meters. His time at SNHU culminated with a Division II All-American in the Steeplechase (Ashley Corcoran, 2023 NCAA Championships).

Before SNHU, Marcello was the head men's cross country coach at Quinnipiac, spending two seasons with the Bobcats. 

Marcello began his collegiate coaching career down I-88 at SUNY Oneonta, serving as the associate head coach of the cross country and track and field programs. While with the Red Dragons, he led the men's cross country program to back to back Division III NCAA Championship appearances in 2018 and 2019.  

During this stretch, he guided the team to the team's highest Atlantic Region ranking in program history (third) and highest consecutive Atlantic Region Championship finishes in program history (fourth and fifth). His squad also placed second at the 2018 and 2019 SUNYAC Cross Country Championships, where they scored their lowest point total in team history in consecutive years. 

Marcello also has experience coaching at the high school level, leading the Weston and Newton High School track and field program from 2013-18. He saw a combined 13 Southwest Conference Championships in indoor and outdoor track and field, four all-time Southwest Conference records broken, 25 All-State members, eight All-New England athletes, and four All-Americans. 

An alumnus of Sacred Heart, Marcello was a two-year team captain of the cross country and track programs and ran school records at 5000m and 10,000m.  Marcello graduated from Sacred Heart with a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science in 2012 and a master's in Exercise Science and Sports Nutrition in 2014. 

Gator Bites with Papa John's: Russell Sage College broke ten outdoor school records, seven by the men and three by the women this spring…The Gators set 19 new program indoor records this winter, 15 by the men and four by the women…Both teams finished ninth at the 2026 Empire 8 Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships…The 2026 E8 Outdoor Track and Field Championships were held on May 1 and May 2 at Saint John Fisher…The RSC women tied for eighth, while the Gators' men's team took ninth.