Mike Palacio is an assistant coach for the Virginia Commonwealth University men's tennis program in Richmond, Virginia, and entered his second season with the Rams after being hired in September 2024. In his first year on staff, VCU finished 13-12, won the Atlantic 10 Championship, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Rams defeated Saint Joseph's, Richmond, and Dayton on the way to the conference title before falling to South Carolina in the first round. VCU also posted an 85 percent winning rate in Atlantic 10 play, and five players earned all-conference recognition while five others were named Atlantic 10 Scholar-Athletes.
Before joining VCU, Palacio spent five years at Pacific, including two seasons with the men's program and three as an assistant coach for the women's team. In 2024, he helped the Tigers reach the West Coast Conference Tournament for the first time and advance to the second round, and the team also received a bid to the UTR National Invitational Tennis Tournament.
