Certifications include US Ski and Snowboard Referee and time and calculations, Crossfit Level 1 Trainer, and trained in the Burdenko Method.
Harvard Athletics announced the hiring of Scott MacPherson as the Paul J. Finnegan Family Head Coach for Harvard Skiing (Alpine) on June 16, 2017. In June 2020, the alpine coach position was endowed, and his title changed to The Peter H. Carter '69 Head Coach for Harvard Alpine Skiing. MacPherson enters his ninth season at the helm in 2025-26.
In 2024-25, MacPherson mentored two of the breakout stars on the EISA circuit in Duncan Armstrong ’28 and Skylar Sheppard ’28. Armstrong qualified for the NCAA Championships in his rookie season while Sheppard – who clocked the fastest time in the first run of the slalom at the Dartmouth Carnival – tallied four top-10 finishes over the year’s first four carnivals before missing the latter portion of the season due to injury.
During the 2023-24 season, MacPherson guided a student-athlete to the NCAA Championships for the fourth straight season as Elsie Halvorsen ’24 qualified for NCAAs. Competing in her hometown of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Halvorsen finished 21st in women’s slalom and 25th in women’s giant slalom. MacPherson helped the Crimson host the Harvard Carnival for the third time in five years (2020, 2023, 2024).
In 2022-23, MacPherson earned EISA Coach of the Year honors for the second time in his career with the Crimson. He coached Frederick Willumsen Haug on his way to the NCAA Championships. MacPherson helped the Crimson host the Harvard Carnival for the second time in three competitive seasons (2020, 2023).
Returning to competition in 2021-22, MacPherson coached Matt Ryan ’25 who became the first male alpine skier to represent the Crimson at NCAAs since 1988 following his stellar debut season that featured a pair of top-10 finishes. Ryan placed 28th in the giant slalom and 30th in the slalom at NCAAs.
Due to COVID-19, the 2020-21 skiing season was canceled by the Ivy League.
During the 2019-20 season, MacPherson won EISA Coach of the Year honors. Nellie Ide ’22 qualified for the 2020 NCAA Championships, placing 16th in the giant slalom before the remainder of the event was canceled due to COVID-19. Under MacPherson’s watch, Ide earned Academic All-Ivy honors in 2019, 2020, and 2022. MacPherson helped the Crimson host the Harvard Carnival for the first time in 2020.
From 2018-20, MacPherson served as the Vice President and Rule Editor at the EISA. In 2022, he began a tenure as the league's President and Eastern Collegiate Representative to U.S. Ski and Snowboard.
No stranger to Harvard, MacPherson served as the team’s coaching assistant for two seasons from 2015-17.
With over 12 years of experience coaching at the collegiate level prior to Harvard, MacPherson brought extensive experience and leadership upon his arrival to the Crimson.
From 2007-15, MacPherson headed the Boston College alpine skiing team, where he was nominated as the 2010 MacConnell Division Coach of the Year. MacPherson also led the transition from USCSA-level competition to a Division I member of EISA. In 2013 while working at BC, MacPherson earned a master’s degree in Higher Education.
Prior to his time at BC, MacPherson worked at Tufts and Waterville Valley BBTS.
After graduating from Colby College in 2002, MacPherson began his coaching career at the Noble and Greenough School, producing five undefeated seasons and a New England championship.
