Will Feldman, a fixture in the Suffolk University cross country record books, returned to his alma mater in a new role as the first-ever Head Coach of Track & Field/Cross Country for the Rams in the Spring of 2017. Feldman will enters his fifth year in 2021-22.   

Feldman oversees both the men’s and women’s cross country and track & field teams. The programs were a part of a Fall 2016 announcement of six new varsity sports hitting the Suffolk varsity lineup. 

In just three short seasons Suffolk’s indoor track & field teams have made a name for themselves on every level. 

An individual heavy first season of indoor was highlighted by the Rams’ women dynamic duo of Emily Manfra and Emma Weisse, who each competed at New Englands. 

A year later, the pair one upped those performances and were joined by more of their teammates as sprinter Mariama Kamara and field athlete Allison Rodrigues punched their tickets to regionals in 2019 alongside Manfra and Weisse, while Matyas Csiki-Fejer became the first Suffolk male student-athlete to reach the regional stage. 

Csiki-Fejer would take home all-region honors for his standout effort in the mile, and Manfra achieved the same feat in the same event on the women’s side. 

The 2018-19 season continued as Manfra and Weisse made more history as the twosome earned at-large bids to NCAAs in the mile and 3000, respectively. The Suffolk storyline at nationals was Manfra’s fifth-place performance en route to the program’s first All-American accolade.  

In year three of both the Feldman era and the program’s history the Rams reached new heights with a conference title up for grabs for the first time; the inaugural GNAC Championships. 

Multiple events led to GNACs where the Suffolk men captured the first-ever trophy in thrilling, come-from-behind fashion. The women, meanwhile, secured second. Eight Rams combined for 11 individual crowns with a pair of relay teams toping the podium as well.  

For their efforts at the championships, Suffolk took hauled home 13 all-league accolades. The men swept all major awards in Track Athlete of the Year Matyas Csiki-Fejer, Field Athlete of the Year Michael Balestra, and Rookie of the Year Connor Baston. On the women’s side, Emily Manfra garnered Track Athlete of the Year. Thanks to his athletes’ performances Feldman was named the inaugural GNAC Men Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year.

At regionals both teams sent their largest contingent in program history with four women and eight men scattered over four events. Manfra highlighted the Rams once again with a pair of all-region nods en route to her second straight ticket to NCAAs, while Csiki-Fejer collected his second straight All-New England accolade.  

Manfra and Suffolk’s season was cut short, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the night before the national race, to end her career, historic as it was, early.  

In 2020-21, the Rams fourth indoor campaign was sidelined due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. 

Feldman has not only jump started a regional recognized program athletically, but also academically. His team has been awarded for its effort in the classroom with back-to-back USTFCCCA honors. Individually two Rams garnered three individual accolades from the USTFCCCA under Feldman’s leadership. 

More recognition for work inside the classroom came from CoSIDA. Manfra became the program’s first-ever Academic All-American in 2018-19 and repeated that distinction a year later as the University’s first-ever first-team Academic All-American. That same season, Csiki-Fejer took home the distinction, making history for the men’s program.  

Feldman holds the honor of coaching Suffolk’s first-ever GNAC Women of the Year as Emily Manfra collected the honor in 2019-20.  

During his time donning the blue-and-gold for the men’s cross country team, the four-year letterwinner, three-year captain earned MVP status in three straight seasons. Feldman still holds the Rams’ cross country records in the 5k and 8k to this day. 

Feldman returned to his Boston roots with eight years of coaching experience on his resume. The Suffolk graduate, who received a Bachelor’s of Arts in European history in 2010, began his coaching career across town at GNAC rival Emmanuel in 2008. As an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Saints, Feldman was instrumental in the growth and development of the then-newly developed program. He implemented a national recruiting effort, which doubled the size of the squad and culminated in the successful recruitment of the program’s first All-American.

After four seasons with the Saints, Feldman then took his coaching talents to MIT where he spent two years on the coaching staff working with middle distance and distance student-athletes, utilizing performance software such as Dartfish to analyze the gait of MIT’s runners and maximize runner’s efficiency. During the 2012 cross country season, he helped guide the men and women to NEWMAC team titles with the women going on to finish sixth at the NCAA Championships. On the track, Feldman worked with the hurdlers, middle distance and distance athletes. He was a crucial ingredient in back-to-back NEWMAC Outdoor team titles for both the men and women teams. During his time with the Engineers, Feldman assisted six All-Americans, 19 NCAA Qualifiers and 15 conference champions. 

Feldman then joined Duke’s cross country and track & field coaching staff in August 2013. Throughout the 2013 cross country season and 2014 track & field campaign, he assisted in the success of the Blue Devil’s women’s middle distance and distance program. Feldman played a key developmental role in his first season. He worked with ACC Outdoor 1500m champion freshman Haley Meier and standout Juliet Bottorff, who won three ACC titles (Cross Country, Indoor 5k and Outdoor 10k). Overall, he helped Duke produce four All-Americans, five ACC Champions and an additional five All-ACC performers.

In 2014-15, Feldman helped Duke’s men’s distance-medley relay team earn All-American honors, while the team also grabbed All-ACC accolades. Additionally, he guided five members to All-ACC honors, including Shaun Thompson, who qualified for the NCAA National Championships in the 5,000-meter distance.

Feldman returns to Suffolk after two years on Chad Pearson’s staff at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro as assistant coach. At UNCG, Feldman worked with Southern Conference Cross Country Freshman of the Year Kathleen Mansure, as well as four all-conference performers and Katy Link, a NCAA first-round qualifier in the 10k.

He has abetted in conducting cross country workouts, while directing all the aspects of training for sprinters, hurdlers, middle distance and endurance athletes. Off the competition course, he identified and recruited endurance athletes, planned and executed official visits and managed operations and administrative responsibilities including travel logistics, compliance and the program’s budget.

On the runner’s circuit, Feldman has competed nine marathons. His best time on a 26.2-mile course came in Chicago in 2013, crossing the tape in 2:36.37. Feldman will take Boston’s historic course for the third time in the 121st marathon with his wife and fellow Suffolk alumni, Kyle, Monday, April 17. 

Feldman received his USA Track and Field (USATF) Level 1 Coaching Certification in 2008. In 2010 he earned his USATF Level II certification in Endurance events and Sprints, Hurdles, and Relays in 2014.