Daniel Martinez: Trinity University Head Strength Coach

By Matthew Thomas

The multiple championships that Trinity took home every year are not just won during the competitions, but start with training, and that is where Daniel Martinez comes in.

Martinez became the coordinator for Trinity’s Sports Performance Center (SPC) and the head strength/conditioning coach in 2017. He customizes workout plans for all Trinity athletes based on their specific sports, and supervises the workout sessions of each team.
On average, Martinez trains 100 to 120 athletes every day and one of the biggest challenges for him is balancing all of the team schedules. There is a lot of communication between him and the coaches and a lot of coordinating, so that the SPC, located in the Bell Center, can be used most efficiently. After doing this for two years, Martinez has established a better workflow and routines for all the training activities.

“Daniel does a great job organizing the different teams with times they are able to work with him,” says junior Mark Tindall, a baseball player.

Martinez’s passion for training started when he was a Division I track athlete at the University of Texas-San Antonio. He ended up leaving UTSA and became a certified personal trainer. He later earned a bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sport Science with a minor in Sport Psychology from Texas State University.

He went on to earn a master’s degree in Strength and Conditioning from Edith Cowan University in Australia. There, he got to work with quite a few top practitioners in the athletic training field. Australia has “a more laid back environment,” while in America the athletes are more willing to push the envelope with working hard at their craft, he says.

Martinez worked with several professional sports teams including the New Zealand Hurricanes and the Saracens Rugby Club. Right before he became Trinity’s head strength coach, he was a training consultant with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was instrumental in implementing some of the team’s training methods, such as strength and power development. To make that experience even more satisfying, the Eagles ended up winning the Super Bowl that season.

In fact, 2017 was not the first time Martinez worked with Trinity athletes. He has been training Trinity’s women’s volleyball team since 2007. “He makes sure to specialize our workouts so it really makes us better on the court,” says volleyball player Katrina Lieberman. Martinez cites the familiarity with Trinity athletics as one reason to accept the head strength coach position.

He has very much enjoyed working with Trinity athletes. “Every team is a little different,” he says, quoting famous basketball coach John Wooden, “I like everyone a little different but I love you all the same.”