Longtime coaching great Mike Tomasallo joined the San José State track and field coaching staff as a volunteer assistant ahead of the 2020 season. Tomasello boasts 30 years of coaching experience that includes tenures at both Stanford and Tennessee.
Tomasello arrived at Tennessee in 1963 and was a member of 12 SEC title teams across cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field as a student-athlete. He earned All-SEC honors running on the championship indoor two-mile relay team in 1965 and 1966 and ran individually in the outdoor 880 yard run in 1966 where he finished in third place in 1:53.4.
His coaching career began in an assistant capacity at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia, where he coached Craig Talley, the Virginia state champion and Golden West runner-up in the 880. Tomasello then made his way back to the Volunteers and assisted in producing 15 All-Americans, a list that includes two-time NCAA 880 Champion Willie Thomas. With Tomasello's help, the Volunteers claimed the 1972 NCAA title in cross country and the 1974 NCAA championship in track and field. Tomasello was also on the staff for six SEC titles.
In 1979, Tomasello returned to T.C. Williams High School as the head cross Country and track coach. As the head coach, he collected Northern Virginia Coach of the Year honors three times and won 15 regional championships.
Tomasello was hired as the head men's cross country coach and assistant track coach at Stanford in 1980. During his time with the Cardinal, Tomasello assisted Olympic coach Brooks Johnson in the development of both the men's and women's cross country and track programs. He was also a member of the National Distance Olympic Development committee while at Stanford.