Akron Alumni Lead Next Generation of Zips

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AKRON, Ohio - The opportunity to give back to the community that supported them as student-athletes at the University of Akron, while enhancing the success on and off their fields of competition for the current generation of Zips, is the motivational drive for a trio of Akron coaches.

Head strength and conditioning coach Tim Campbell, along with men's assistant soccer coach Michael Nanchoff, and assistant track and field coach Tomasz Smialek have each made their mark in the coaching ranks since their days as student-athletes at Akron.

A member of the Akron football team from 2001-03, Campbell didn't have dreams when he was young of wanting to become a coach, it was something he said came to him.

"I had great professors that pushed me down the more difficult paths in the classroom, my concentration was actually cardiac rehab," said Campbell. "While playing I was far better at the preparation piece than the talent piece, so naturally I built a solid relationship with guys like coaches Dan Wessman and Dan Bailey, the rest is history."

Decorated in their own rights as student-athletes as Zips, Nanchoff and Smialek each began their coaching careers at Akron with an eye on mentoring the next class of Zips to even greater heights.

A member of the 2010 national championship men's soccer squad at Akron, Nanchoff returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in January 2019 after an eight-year professional playing career.

Conversely, Smialek, the Akron men's indoor and outdoor high jump record holder, moved from being a student-athlete to the Zips' coaching staff in 2007. He spent the 2007-08 campaign as a graduate assistant, before his dedication and hard work earned him a promotion to a full-time coach the following season.

"As athletes, coaches and human beings we experience highs and lows," said Smialek. "It is important to stay positive and understand that there is going be a tougher time, there are going to be injuries, bad performances, delayed flights, big fouls etc., overcoming them and moving on is very important part of this game."

Smialek has proven his expertise at his craft having overseen the development of 13 All-Americans to 27 All-America citations, while his student-athletes have captured 57 individual MAC Championships since 2007.

For Campbell, work ethic and discipline instilled in him as a student-athlete is what he says has been a tremendous asset in his career making his transition to a coach pretty easy.

"I had friends that I played with still on teams, but they knew I was pursuing a career in coaching and they made things easy on me by working hard and not taking advantage of our friendships."

Built-in relationships and the history of the University of Akron and its athletic programs is part of what drew Nanchoff back to his alma mater.

"I've always admired Akron's roots. It's a blue-collar city where nit and grit are highly valued."

Nanchoff, a two-time First-Team All-Mid-American Conference performer, starred for the Zips from 2007-10, helping elevate the Akron men's soccer program to new heights, including capturing the school's first-ever national title in 2010. The Zips posted a remarkable 77-8-9 (.867) record during his four seasons at Akron, including advancing to the NCAA title match in 2009 and 2010, while winning the MAC regular and postseason titles in each of his four campaigns.

Nanchoff was tabbed as the No. 8 overall selection in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft by the Vancouver Whitecaps where he starred for two seasons (2011-12) before playing three campaigns (2013-15) with the Portland Timbers, where he helped the Timbers capture the 2015 MLS Cup under the leadership of his collegiate coach Caleb Porter. Nanchoff capped his playing career starring the last three seasons (2016-18) for the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the United Soccer League.

The son of George Nanchoff, who starred for the Zips from 1973-76, coaching was built into Nanchoff's DNA from an early age.

"I've always had coaching aspirations," said Nanchoff. "Coming from a soccer family and coaching youth soccer at a young age was always exciting for me. Being surrounded and taught by an incredible coaching staff at Akron during my time is something I've always been grateful for. I've always felt I was playing in the pros even though I was just a collegiate student-athlete."

Helping to realize their coaching aspirations were many mentors along the way. Campbell credits strength and conditioning coaches Bailey and Wessman, while for Nanchoff and Smialek, the push came from their college coaches.

"Jared (Embick) welcomed me home with an opportunity of a lifetime to join the men's soccer staff as assistant coach," said Nanchoff. "Caleb (Porter) painted a realistic picture of the adversity and challenges all coaches are presented with, while I remember Giff (Dave Giffard) really getting me excited by telling me what a joyride it is to be a college coach."

A native of Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Poland, Smialek traces his coaching roots back to his first coach, Marek Garbolus, back in his home country.

"Back home, my coach trained a very small group of athletes with only myself and another female high jumper (a world-class athlete)," explained Smialek. "I developed a great relationship with him and to this day I really appreciate his involvement in my career as a jumper. I realize now how important that time was for me and how much I benefited from that relationship. He gave me a great knowledge that related to mental toughness, pre-season and in season strength and conditioning and many other things, but what was crucial for me were our discussions and technical analysis of my jumps. He didn't have any background in high jump, so we were learning track together as well as some technical concepts together."

Being a coach wasn't in the career aspirations for Smialek, a two-time All-American and six-time MAC champion in the men's high jump, when he starred for the Zips from 2001-06.

"I enjoyed giving my teammates some tips and coaching high school kids at camps while I was still an athlete, but at that time I didn't consider being a coach at all," said Smialek. "When I got the opportunity to be a GA, my plan was to get my MBA degree and go back to Europe to work for some multi-national corporation or take over my family business."

That plan didn't go exactly to script as the evolution from athlete to coach was a role that grew on Smialek.

"A lot of the athletes that I coached my first year were my teammates a year earlier, so sometimes it was hard to establish a coach – athlete boundary," explained Smialek. "It was extremely helpful to have a great relationship and understanding of each other in the long run that allowed me to establish a coaching style that has always included a strong emphasis on developing close relationships with my athletes. This has helped establish a great channel of communication and understanding with each other."

The transition from student-athlete to coach is one that took on different roles for both Nanchoff and Smialek.

"Although I left Akron for eight years to play professionally, the biggest transition from student-athlete to "real world" worker is that it's not about you anymore," said Nanchoff. "It's about them...the players. It's easy to forget about taking care of myself because 100 percent of that effort goes into looking out for the boys."

"While I was a graduate assistant here, Coach Mitchell gave me a lot of freedom to work with our high jumpers and I had a good amount of success with them (conference champions, NCAA qualifiers and All- Americans; Natalie Sako, Ryan Jones), so that got me little bit more interested and excited about coaching in college. Studying exercise psychology as a GA sparked my interest in the field of coaching and after one semester, Coach Mitchell offered me a full-time position as a jumps coach. That was when I first started to realize that I could have a full-time job doing something I enjoy. I took that job and my jumps group as well as the whole team started to have a lot of success, which I think sealed the deal and made me think very seriously about being a coach for a long time. When everything is great and you having a lot of fun it is easy to fall in love in a new profession."

Navigating the role of being a successful student-athlete at Akron is one that has allowed the trio to convey teaching moments from their own experiences to today's class of Zips.

"I believe the number one thing that I learned as an athlete is to stay positive," explained Smialek. "As athletes, coaches and human beings we always experience high and lows and it is so important to stay positive and understand that there is going be tougher time, there are going to be injuries, bad performances, delayed flights, big fouls, etc., overcoming them and moving on is very important part of this game."

What hasn't changed for each has been the resources available to student-athletes that helped them as push the current class of Zips to greater success and given them lasting memories when their students well after graduation.

"I Love Akron, I can't explain it," said Campbell. "I love seeing former athletes' years down the road, my kids so excited to see Zippy, the random texts/emails from people I haven't spoken to in years saying they're following and rooting for the Zips. It is a great place to be a part of."

"Akron is like a well-oiled machine," stated Nanchoff. "If you need extra help on/off the field, it seems like there's always a resource available to you. Elite professors, coaches, tutors, sport psychologists, etc., are always there for you."

"I believe both academically and athletically Akron student-athletes have all the resources available to be successful on and off the track," stated Smialek. "It is up to them to use them right and take a full advantage of them. Since I have been here, I have seen a huge improvement in every aspect of student-athlete life on campus. The first two years I was a student-athlete here we didn't have all those great facilities or academic support program with all the full-time staff and tutors that current students can utilize. We still were very successful and a lot of our success as a program came from building those strong foundations and having the mindset that everything and anything can be done regardless of the conditions if you have a vision, you stay positive and focused on your goals you will succeed."

The group is able to fondly look back upon moments that helped define them as student-athletes for the Zips.

For Nanchoff, his greatest accomplishment/memory was winning the 2010 National Championship.

"The ability to bounce back from a heartbreaking championship loss in 2009 clearly showed the collective and individual drive on that squad. I'm proud of the culture, character, camaraderie, and work ethic that we brought to the table. For me, that's what really encapsulated that 2010 team."

Smialek explains that there have been even more memorable moments that he has had as a coach than as an athlete.

"From my very first year as a coach winning our first team title, winning men's and women's titles during the same season, winning men's and women's indoor and outdoor team titles, coaching my first MAC individual champion, coaching my first All-American, coaching an NCAA runner up, going 1-2-3 in the men's long jump, almost sweeping all jumping events at the MAC Championships, along with each school record, they all feel very special."

Their love for their alma mater is what has kept this trio mentoring the next generation of Akron student-athletes since their days competing drew to a close.

"I always remind all my recruits that Akron is a full package and a perfect mix," said Smialek. "We have great academic programs, top-notch facilities, great travel schedule that gives our athletes the opportunity to compete at the best meets in the country with the best athletes in the country, winning program with great traditions in track and field."

Smialek went on to explain that for him Akron is so special because it was just the right size, not too big and not too small. The campus and the city are not overwhelming, but still full of opportunities to grow and develop.

Nanchoff credits the people of the University of Akron for his success and that of the next generation of Zips.

"I was very appreciative of my professors and coaches," Nanchoff commented. "Without them, I wouldn't be where I am today and I'm really thankful for that. A big part of me wants to give back in the same fashion as they did for me."

The trio has practiced what it preaches to their student-athletes every day as Campbell graduated with a bachelor's degree in exercise science in 2005, while Smialek and Nanchoff added degrees in business administration/international business and sport sciences in 2006 and 2011, respectively. Additionally, Campbell and Smialek earned master's degrees in 2006 and 2010.

In the words of so many Zippers before my time Nanchoff exclaimed - "It's a great day to be a Zip!"

The University of Akron Athletics

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