Coaching Experience
Running backs coach Jim Mastro enters his seventh year at Nevada. He also serves as Nevada[apos]s recruiting coordinator. Mastro was assistant head coach and in charge of running backs and recruiting for four years under former head coach Chris Tormey.
Mastro has coached some of the top players in the WAC during his time at Nevada, including the 2005 WAC Offensive Player of the Year B.J. Mitchell. Mitchell also picked up the Golden Helmet Award as Nevada[apos]s MVP. Mastro helped tutor 1,000-yard rushers three straight years (Chance Kretschmer in 2001 and 2003 and Matt Milton in 2002) and added a fourth in Mitchell in 2005. Kretschmer topped the NCAA rushing list as a redshirt freshman in 2001. The following year, with Kretschmer out for the season after the first play of the second game of the year, Mastro developed Milton into the team[apos]s lead rusher and a 1,000-yard season.
Before coming to Reno, Mastro coached at Idaho for two years. During his tenure in Moscow, he coached the 1998 Big West Player of the Year and Idaho[apos]s career rushing leader, Joel Thomas. Prior to that, Mastro was a linebackers and special teams coach at San Jose State in 1995. He spent one season as the defensive run game coordinator at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and was the running backs coach for five years prior to that at his alma mater. His coaching career started at Cal Poly SLO in 1989, while he was completing his undergraduate degree.
Playing Experience
A two-year letter winner at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Earned honorable-mention All-America honors in 1986 while at San Jose City College. He also was a first-team All-Golden Gate Conference choice in 1986. While at Milpitas High School near San Jose, Mastro was honored as the recipient of the Leo B. Murphy Scholar Athlete-of-the-Year Award.
Personal
Mastro earned his bachelor[apos]s degree in physical education from Cal Poly in 1994. He has one son, Mike, and he and his wife, Terri, have a son, Ronnie, and a daughter, Cheryl. He married his wife, Terri, on July 20, 2001.
