Niagara University Athletics

Salaam took over as the head coach for the cross country and track programs in 2023.

In his first season as the women's track & field head coach, Niagara landed 11 student-athletes on the MAAC All-Academic Team. At the MAAC Championships Kate Pratt and Vanessa Woolery qualified for finals. As a team Niagara finished 10th at the MAAC Championships. While at the MAAC Championships, the relay team of Velez, Scott, Woolery, and Pratt set a new program record in the 4x400 with a time of 4:00.9. Clara Barr set a new long jump program record at the UB Alumni Invitational with a jump of 5.27m. Multiple Purple Eagles turned in results that landed themselves in the top 10 in program history. 

After starting the 2022-23 academic year as the Interim Head Coach, Salaam was named Head Coach early in 2023. In the fall 10 student-athletes were named to the MAAC All-Academic Team. Under the guidance of Salaam junior Braden York posted a career best time at the MAAC Championships that landed him the top spot in the record book with a time of 25:50. Niagara finished ninth in women's cross country and tenth in men's at the MAAC Championships.

Salaam most recently coached boys’ and girls’ sprints, hurdles and relays at Southmoore High School. In 2022, Salaam coached the state champion in the 100m, who was a freshman. In 2021, he coached the Oklahoma Girls’ Gatorade Athlete of the Year, Jada Atkinson. She swept the state meet in the 100m and 200m dash. She broke the state record in the 100m dash. He also coached the boys’ relay team that won the 4x400m state title.

Prior to Southmoore, Salaam spent time at Broken Arrow High School in 2019, where he coached sprints and relays. He helped the boys’ team to conference, regional and state title wins and the girls’ team to conference and regional championships and a second place state meet finish.

Salaam has had a decorated indoor and outdoor career. Prior to getting into coaching, Salaam ran for Adidas from 2011-17 and competed for Team USA. He was a two-time Olympic Trials Qualifier (2012, 2016) and he won a silver medal in the 4x100m relay at the World Championships held in Moscow, Russia in 2013.

Salaam attended the University of Oklahoma, where he competed in indoor and outdoor track and was a seven-time All-American and a five-time Big XII champion. In 2011, he was named the Big XII Athlete of the Year and was also the 2011 Midwest Region Athlete of the Year. He holds Oklahoma’s indoor 60m (6.54) and 200m (20.39) records and outdoor 100m (9.97) and 200m (20.05) records; he was just the 79^th person ever to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m. In 2011 he won the NCAA indoor 200m National Champion and had the fastest time in the world at the time. he also was the runner up in the 2011 NCAA outdoor 100m championship.

Salaam, who signed with Adidas following his junior season at Oklahoma, finished his degree at the University of Alabama in 2019, graduating with a bachelor’s in history with a minor in computer science.

Salaam is married to LaKya Brookins Salaam, who is a two-time NCAA Champion in the 60m dash and a two-time SEC Conference Champion in the 60m dash and SEC Outdoor Runner-Up. They have one son, Kyler.