Mike Salem enters his ninth season as the Director of Track & Field/Cross Country at UMass Dartmouth in 2026-27. He previously served as an assistant coach for the Tufts University women’s cross country and track & field programs four four seasons.
Through eight seasons with the Corsairs, Salem has coached 1 National Champion, 14 All-Americans, 22 NCAA qualifiers, 78 All-Region and hundreds of All-Conference honorees for both the men's and women's programs. Salem and his staff have helped guide the Corsairs programs to seven combined indoor and outdoor titles for the men's program, including 2020, 2022 and 2023 for indoor, along with the 2022, 2023, 2025 and 2026 outdoor titles. The Corsairs staff has subsequently been named the Little East Coaching Staff of the Year in each championship year. Salem was also named the USTFCCCA Men's Northeast Regional Coach of the Year in the 2023 and 2026 outdoor seasons.
Of his 14 All-Americans, seven have come within the last three years. During the 2026 season, the Corsairs saw Ancil Alexander claim his second straight All-America in the discus throw, finishing seventh overall in his sophomore campaign. He went on to place ninth in the shot put at the Outdoor Nationals - garnering Second Team honors to match his honor from the 2026 Indoor campaign.
Salem mentored one of the most decorated Corsairs in program history - six-time All-American - Cameron Rodgers, who earned four straight All-American honors in the 400-meter hurdles. Additionally, he has had a National Champion during his tenure with Jordan Entwistle capturing the 2019 NCAA crown in the javelin throw.
On the women's side, Salem has helped coach six Little East Athletes of the Year, including the 2022 and 2023 Indoor, as well as 2023 Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year in Kaitlyn Bernier. The men's side has seen a combined 27 athletes garner both indoor and outdoor "of the Year" honors. The Corsairs have claimed six Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year honors dating back to 2019, including three straight (2021, 2022 and 2023) for Andrew Swallow, along with the 2025 and 2026 titles for Alexander. Rodgers was one of two to garner Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year recognition, including taking the title in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
In eight seasons, Salem and his staff have seen a combined 94 Little East Champions, including 74 on the men's side. The Corsairs have won a combined nine high jump titles since the 2019 season, while boasting 10 indoor and outdoor shot put titles during that span as well.
In serving as the head coach for all six of UMass Dartmouth’s cross country and track & field teams, Salem took over for longtime Corsair cross country mentor Jon Hird and legendary track & field coach Steve Gardiner.
A resident of Medford, Mass., Salem previously served as the Head Women’s Track & Field Coach for two seasons (2012-14) at Bridgewater State University, where he also served as an assistant coach for the Bears’ men’s track & field program. During his tenure at Tufts, Mike helped Head Coach Kristen Morwick’s Jumbos make four straight appearances in the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships while also mentoring an NCAA champion, nine All-Americans and 24 NCAA qualifiers in track & field.
While at Bridgewater State, Salem coached eight All-Americans, 10 NCAA qualifiers and 36 conference champions for both the women’s and men’s programs. Mike guided the Bears to the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference indoor women’s title in 2014 and helped Head Coach T.J. Smith’s men’s program win a pair of league crowns in 2013, as Bridgewater State student-athletes combined to set 75 school records during his tenure.
Salem’s student-athletes at Tufts and Bridgewater State were also recognized for their excellence in the classroom, as the Jumbos earned a combined eight United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic team honors over the last four years. Additionally, a total of 40 student-athletes at both institutions earned USTFCCCA All-Academic accolades.
A 2009 graduate of Boston University with a degree in Political Science & Philosophy, Salem was a standout for the Terriers in track & field. A two-time America East Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll honoree at BU, Mike earned a Master’s degree in Sports Leadership from Northeastern University last year. In addition to his coaching stints at Tufts and Bridgewater State, he served in a pair of assistant and associate coaching roles at Swarthmore College (2009-11) and Lewis & Clark College (2011-12) before returning to the East Coast.
