Tony Salerno is in his 22ndseason as the head coach of the men's track and field program at the University of California San Diego in 2021. He also remains an assistant for the women's program in the throwing events. Salerno served as head coach for both the men's and women's squads for 12 years prior.
After watching UC San Diego transition from Division III to Division II, Salerno finally saw his program reach the highest level of competition as the Tritons underwenttheirinaugural year as members of the Big West andDivision I in 2021. Throughout thecampaign, Salerno guided the men’s team to a first-place finish at the Triton Quadrangular, beating outa pair of conference foes in UC Riverside and CSUN. The blue and goldsaw at least one event winner in all but one meet as well as a handful of all-time performances. Highlighting the record-breaking displays was Blake Walkowiak’s 176’10” toss in the discus that broke UC San Diego’s No. 1 mark in the event that stood for 29 years prior. Additionally, the men's 4x100 relay team of Christopher Erpelding, Kyle McKray, Tristan Lee, and Nolan Crespoentered the all-time list at No. 3 (40.95). Their time also ranked third among the Big West at the conclusion of the season.
In 2020,just four meets into the season,Salerno led eight of his scholar-athletes to NCAA pro-qualifying marks. Among the highlights of the shortened year was Blake Walkowiak’s 173’1” discus toss at the Rossi Relays (2/22) which placed him second on the all-time list. In addition, Evan Shimasaki set a new Triton pole vault record of 16’6.75” at the San Diego Collegiate Challenge (3/7). Devin Lecakes-Jones tossed a 53’11” in the shot put (fourth all-time) and Nathan Yoder leaped to a distance of 48’2.75” in the triple jump (seventh all-time). Furthermore, Leyikun Solomon impressed in his freshman year, running the 400 hurdles in 53.34 (ninth all-time) and the 110 hurdles in 14.75 (eighth all-time). 14 other individuals either entered the record books or improved previous marks with performances throughout the season.
The men were selected to come in third in the CCAA but were well on their way to exceeding those expectations before the campaign was canceled. UC San Diego concluded the San Diego Collegiate Challenge, on its home turf,three points off from atalented Navy squad. Overall, Salerno and the Tritons wrapped up a successful Division II era in 2020, showing their ability to not only keep up withbut top future Big West opponents.
In the 2019 campaign, Salerno guided the men's team to a third-place finish at the CCAA Championships. 12 individuals received All-CCAA honors, six of which garnered conference recognition in multiple events. Six Triton contestants were also named All-West Region. Four scholar-athletes competed at the NCAA Championships where Nicolas Rack placed sixth in the 110 hurdles and was named U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-America First Team. Matt Bowen placed third in the triple jump and seventh in the long jump for both USTFCCCA All-America First and Second Team selections, respectively.
2018 was an epic year for UC San Diego Track and Field. With Salerno at the helm, the San Diego native led his squad to a second-place finish at the CCAA Championships with 12 individuals being named All-CCAA. Paul Doan and Bowen were selected Athletes of the Meet for their efforts against conference opponents. Rack set a new school record in the 110 hurdles at 14.0-seconds.That same year, Salerno coached three All-Americans (Bowen, Rack and Doan) at the NCAA Championship, following the nine All-West Region honorees who were recognized prior. Doan broke his own 100 record once again at the national level (10.39).
One year later, Doan and nine more garnered All-Region accolades to add to the grand total that Salerno has greatly contributed to.
In 2016, Salerno saw three student-athletes compete at the NCAA Division II Championships, with two earning All-America distinction.
Salerno was named the 2015 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men's Coach of the Year.
Salerno has over 30 years of college coaching experience. Since moving to the NCAA Division II level in 2001, both the men's and women's squads have been ranked among the top programs in the nation under his guidance.
UCSD athletes have earned a remarkable 65 NCAA Division II All-America distinctions during his tenure as head coach. Since Salerno arrived on the La Jolla campus, the evolution of both the men's and women's teams at the Division II level has been nothing short of dramatic, with the men registering second-place finishes at the CCAA Championships in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018. The men's program has consistently ranked among the top 25 programs in the nation in the USTFCCCA National Power Rankings and was named a USTFCCCA Academic All-American Team in 2015 and 2016.
Salerno's final season as head coach of the women's program in 2007 proved to be a banner year for the Tritons as they claimed their third straight CCAA championship. The season was capped by an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, which was the program's highest national championship placing since moving to the Division II level at the time. The Triton women ranked either first or second in the USTFCCAA national power rankings every year from 2003 to 2009.
The successes of the Triton track and field programs have not gone unnoticed by his coaching peers. Salerno was voted the CCAA Women's Coach of the Year in 2005, 2006 and 2007, as well the West Region Coach of the Year in 1993, 2005, 2006 and 2007. He was voted National Coach of the Year in 2005.
A specialist in coaching the throwing events, Salerno has produced 45 NCAA All-Americans, as well as seven individual NCAA champions in throws and the decathlon during his time at UCSD. In 2009, junior Danielle Thu won the national title in the hammer throw with a toss of 198'8" -- a mark that ranks fifth all-time in Division II -- and sophom*ore Nick Howe won the national championship in both 2010 and 2011. Over the span of his 35 years of coaching at the high school, community college, Division I, II and III levels, Salerno has produced numerous record setters and champions.
Salerno began his tenure at UCSD in 1988 as an assistant coach before taking on head coaching responsibilities for both the men's and women's teams in 1993. From 1996 to 1999, Salerno coached at the Division I level at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., before returning to La Jolla in 2000 as part of UCSD's move to the Division II level the following year.
Since December of 2008, Salerno has served as the president of the Cal-Nevada Coaches Association. UCSD most recently hosted both the 2013 and 2014 Cal-Nevada Collegiate Championships, the 2013 edition marking the 20th running of the prestigious meet.
A San Diego native, Salerno graduated from Mount Miguel High School and then earned his B.A. in kinesiology from San Diego State University in 1984.
