Coach Halper has been at Worcester State since the summer of 1999 when he was named the women's track and field coach where he also assisted with the men’s program. With the beginning of the 2002-2003 season, Halper assumed duties as head coach of both the men’s and women’s programs. His experience and knowledge brings to the college, the impetus which is needed as Worcester State makes the effort to raise the level of the program to new heights and successes.

Halper had served as head coach of the Holy Cross women’s cross country/track and field programs since their inception in 1976 until June 1999 when Holy Cross decided to make the position full time. Unable to accept the position due to previous teaching obligations, Halper was available to join the staff at Worcester State. Halper’s squads have long been recognized and respected among their competitors. In his twenty-three years at Holy Cross, he had helped to make the Crusader cross country and track programs among the strongest and most successful in the East. His cross-country teams have made four national championship appearances, finishing second on two occasions. His track and field program produced several nationally ranked relays and a number of top ten All New England Championship finishes both indoor and outdoor including a second place finish in the 1984 Outdoor season.

While coaching ten All-Americans and having his teams accumulate a long list of titles, Halper has earned several individual honors as well. In 1982 and 1983, he was named the NCAA Division II Northeast Region Coach of the Year. He was also one of the founders and has served as commissioner of the New England Intercollegiate Cross-Country and Track and Field Association. In addition, he has served as a member of NCAA, ECAC and EAIAW cross country and track committees and the Massachusetts Track Officials Association.

A respected lecturer at camps and clinics, Halper is particularly well known for his expertise in event specific hydrotraining, hydrotherapy, and speed training. His philosophy for coaching in the middle and long distances are also topics at clinics and camps. Halper’s coaching interests also extend beyond Worcester State. He has been active in the Bay State Games since its beginning and the previously held U.S. Youth Games. Locally, he helped to create the Worcester Track Club to benefit youth and “open” athletes in the city and surrounding communities. Halper has also done graduate work in sports medicine. A former trackman at Rutgers University and a native of Middletown, NY, Al remains an avid runner and competitor on the road and track from time to time. Al has two children, a son, Sean and a daughter, Marisa. He resides in Worcester, MA.

Matthew Swett enters his second year of coaching the mens cross country and track & field programs. Swett is a former Lancer who still holds the schools Pentathalon record and his 600 meter mark was broken last season.

Among his other accomplishments include a second place finish as a Division III athlete at the All-New England Championship in the Decathalon while he capped off his senior year as the Worcester State Male Athlete of the Year.

Swett specializes in high jump and hurdes, but brings a wealth of knowledge of every event to the program.

Ryan McCarthy begins his second year at WSC as the throws coach for both the men and the women's indoor/outdoor track teams. A native of Worcester, he graduated from nearby St. John's High School in Shrewsbury in 2004, where he currently holds the school records in the shot-put and discus and served as team captain in 2004.

After high school, McCarthy attended URI graduated in 2008 with a degree in Criminology. McCarthy was the team captain of the 2008 Atlantic 10 and New England Champion Rhode Island Rams. Currently holds the school record in the Javelin at URI at 223'4. His mark from the previous season was less than 6 feet short of the Olympic Trials standard in 2008, but he was unable to best the distance because of a season-ending injury. McCarthy finished the 2008 season ranked 19th in Division 1 in the men's javelin. Currently sits at second all time at URI in the shot-put. McCarthy is a seven-time Atlantic 10 Champion, New England Champion in the men's javelin and runner up in the men's shot-put.

In 2008 was named the first ever three time recipient of the Atlantic 10 performer of the year award winning it as a sophomore, junior and senior at the Outdoor Championships. Currently holds the record for most points ever scored in an Atlantic 10 championship with 34 in 2007 with victories in the shot-put and javelin, a second place finish in the discus, and third place finish in the men's hammer. That same year went on to score 24 points at the New England Championships outscoring 25 teams by himself.

McCarthy served as 2008 URI Student Athlete Advisory Committee President which included developing many new events and fundraisers for charity at URI while he also was the sole student member on the Athletic Advisory Board for Student Athlete welfare in 2007 and 2008. McCarthy also was an advocate for victims of domestic violence in the University of Rhode Island's national award winning Peer Advocate Program. For his efforts he was chosen to speak by the directors of this program at the 2007 Florida Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence.

McCarthy looks to lead the WSC Throwers in 2009-10 to new heights and saw drastic improvements from years past in his first year. His coaching philosophy is to teach each athlete to be an athlete not just a thrower and puts extreme emphasis on pelvic flexibility and pelvic strength development. Designs training plans as well as lifting workouts for all of his throwers utilizing Olympic based programs focused on explosive strength.

Coach McCarthy currently works as the director of a community center in a subsidized housing complex and currently resides in Worcester.