EJ Barthel enters his first season at William & Mary and serves as the recruiting coordinator and running backs coach.
Barthel comes to Williamsburg after serving as the running backs and player development coach at Howard last season. Under his direction, the Bison led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in rushing with 192.8 yards per game. Additionally, he helped standout freshman Dedrick Parson garner MEAC Rookie of the Year and All-MEAC Second Team accolades. Parson led the league in yards per carry (5.65), while he ranked second in rushing touchdowns (nine) and third in rushing yards per game (70.6).
Prior to his season at HU, Barthel gained tremendous experience in various roles at a number of successful programs: Albany (running backs, 2018), Penn State (recruiting coordinator of personnel, 2017), Temple (director of on-campus recruiting and player personnel, 2016) and Rutgers (director of recruiting, 2015 / player development volunteer, 2014). At PSU, he helped the Nittany Lions secure the nation’s No. 5 recruiting class, according to 247 Sports.
He played three seasons at Rutgers University (2003-05) as a fullback before concluding his collegiate career at the University of Massachusetts (2006-07) where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology.
A former standout running back for Becton Regional High School in East Rutherford, N.J., he coached in the high school ranks at two prominent programs – DePaul Catholic High School (2012) and Bergen Catholic (2013).
