Former UA All-American high jumper Tomasz Smialek is in his fifth season as a full-time assistant coach, spending the 2007 season as a graduate assistant. Smialek, a 2006 graduate from UA, coaches the high jumpers and the horizontal jumpers, while assisting with the day-to-day duties in the track office.

Smialek has overseen the development of three All-Americans – including Natalie Sako (high jump), Cadeau Kelley (long jump) and Collister Fahie (long jump) – while his student-athletes have captured 18 individual MAC Championships since 2007.

In his first year, concentrating mainly on the vertical jumpers, Smialek oversaw perhaps the MAC's best corps, featuring Sako. During the indoor season, Sako placed 10th at the NCAA Championships to earn her fourth All-American honor, while she and Lisa Ravn tied for second at the MAC meet. Also, on the men's side, Ryan Jones was MAC runner-up in the high jump. Those performances improved in the outdoor season with Sako and Jones both winning the MAC. Jones also nearly qualified for the NCAA Outdoors, placing sixth at the regional.

For 2008, Smialek expanded his role in coaching the horizontal jumpers with Cadeau Kelley and Niesha Kelly experiencing a breakout seasons. Kelley set UA long and triple jump records for both indoor and outdoor seasons, claimed the MAC long and triple jump championship for both indoor and outdoor seasons, and made his first trip to the NCAA Championships. There, he placed 14th in the long jump and finished his career by earning All-America honors with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Outdoors.

Under Smialek's guidance, Zips jumpers dominated the MAC Championships in 2010 and 2011, winning eight individuals titles. Mike McCall, who finished his career as a six-time MAC Champion in the high jump, swept all four high jump titles during that time, while Tyshaun Peoples brought home the indoor long jump championships in 2010 and 2011 and Fahie did the same during the outdoor seasons.

Furthermore, Fahie went on to earn Second Team All-America honors for his 12^th-place finish in the 2011 NCAA Championships in long jump and set the school record with a leap of 26’3.75” at the USA Championships in June 2011, where he finished sixth.

Smialek continued his success in the vertical jumps as freshman Mike McCall was runner-up at the MAC Indoors while Jones placed fourth. During the '08 outdoor season, Jones was second while McCall was third. Jones and McCall went on to participate in the NCAA Mid-East Regional. While Jones placed 10th, his jump of 7-0.50 was good enough to give the senior an at-large berth to the NCAA Outdoors, where he placed 20th in his first trip to nationals.

In 2009, McCall earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships after winning both the MAC Indoor and Outdoor titles. Tyshaun Peoples won the MAC Outdoor title in the long jump. Also, Collister Fahie was MAC Indoor runner-up in the long jump and outdoor runner-up in the triple jump. Both Peoples and Fahie qualified for the NCAA Regional. On the women's side, Kelly was MAC Indoor champion in the long jump and runner-up in the triple jump, while Alina Bocicor qualified for the NCAA Regional in the high jump.

Smialek completed his collegiate career as one of the best high jumpers to ever compete at Akron. He is the current school record holder in both indoor and outdoor competition, clearing 7-03.25 indoors and 7-03.75 outdoors.

He ended his collegiate career on a high note, earning his second All-American honor at the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Championship, finishing eighth after clearing a season-best 7-02.25. His first All-American honor came at the 2005 NCAA Indoor Championship in which he placed sixth with a jump of 7-02.50.

Smialek is also a six-time MAC Champion in high jump and was named 2005 UA Indoor Most Valuable Performer.