Yale, Maine and Ohio State After his running career ended in 1898, Farrell spent four years as a private track instructor specializing in conditioning runners. In December 1909, Farrell was hired by
Ohio State University as coach of the track team and trainer of the football team. In December 1911, Farrell became involved in a struggle for power between the faculty and Student Athletic Board at Ohio State. Farrell bid farewell to the football team after a Thanksgiving game, noting that he did not believe he would be retained. According to a contemporary press account, "the entire squad thereupon, in tears, pledged themselves not to again compete in athletics.". They went on to chronicle his record and describe their admiration for him in the student newspaper, saying, "No one man has ever done more for Ohio State athletics than "Steve" Farrell Since his coming to Ohio State two years ago, a cleaner, more sportsman-like spirit has been instilled into every athlete coming under the trainers' influence."
University of Michigan In September 1912, Farrell was hired as the athletic trainer at the
University of Michigan and noted at the time that the Ann Arbor institution "is the only western college that is thought much of down east." He served as the school's track coach until his retirement in 1930, and he was also the trainer to
Fielding H. Yost's football teams from 1912 to 1919. In 1915, a series of newspaper articles touted Farrell as an innovator in track coaching, noting his innovations in the following areas: • In February 1915,
The New York Times reported on Farrell's novel plan to instill "enthusiasm and vim" in his athletes by having them train to the accompaniment of music played by the Varsity band. Farrell noted that his athletes had been taking more interest in dancing competitions than athletic training. Farrell planned to have the musicians "render tunes a trifle faster than the natural stride" of Michigan's best performer in each event. "It is expected that the inspiration of the music and the natural efforts of the dancers to get in time should make the Michigan men exert themselves more willingly than they are at present doing." • In January 1915, Farrell introduced rope skipping as a training method for his long distance runners. Farrell noted, "It is a great form of exercise to develop the body, especially making men long winded and strong in the legs. It also has a tendency in making them quick and alert on their toes." • Farrell instituted "the espionage system of discovering budding athletes" by stationing "a force of spies" in the college gymnasium watching for men of sufficient prowess to compete on the track team. The "new detective method of locating possible athletes" was begun after a freshman student was seen completing a high jump of six feet — six inches higher than any member of the track team. When Michigan rejoined the Big Ten Conference in 1918, Farrell's Michigan track teams promptly won the indoor and outdoor track championships in both 1918 and 1919. His teams had a 50–16–1 record in dual meets, and his athletes won 76 Big Ten individual event titles and 11 NCAA individual event titles. Michigan also won its only NCAA team track championship in 1923 under Farrell. He won many meets by focusing on team power and placing athletes where they could score points. ==War service==