LEWISTON, Me - Professor Emeritus of Physical Education Albert M. Fereshetian Jr., affectionately known as “Coach Fresh” by hundreds of Bates student-athletes and alumni through the years, died on June 22, 2024, at the age of 66.
Fereshetian joined Bates in 1995 as the head coach of men’s cross country and track and field, holding the position for 26 years, retiring in 2021 after an illustrious coaching career that spanned 41 years. During his tenure at Bates, he coached more than 500 athletes, with 48 earning a total of 101 All-America honors, including nine individual NCAA titles.
On top of all that, he was a rock-steady supporter and mentor to his athletes, and his enthusiasm and sincerity — always evident at the annual Alumni Cross Country Race — helped keep alumni engaged with Bates long after graduation. “Coach Fresh is a friend, a dad, a brother, and a mentor,” three-time All-American thrower Adedire Fakorede ’18 once said. “He just does it all.”
Born and raised in Arlington, Mass., by first-generation Armenian Americans, he graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1983, where he began his coaching career.
Before his time at Bates, he led the cross country and track and field teams at Appalachian State University from 1989 to 1995. His tenure there was marked by success, including three Southern Conference championships for men’s cross country and seven conference coach of the year honors. He was a 2010 inductee into the Appalachian State Athletics Hall of Fame.
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