Henry Martinez enters his second season at Utah as an assistant coach with the Utah men's basketball in 2020-21 after joining the staff in May of 2019.
Martinez joined the Utah staff following sixteen years of serving as director and head coach of the ProBasket Academy in Costa Rica. Martinez has coaching experience at both the high school and professional levels, including a 15-year affiliation as a player and coach with the Costa Rica National Team. He has served as head basketball coach at Santa Ines, Santa Cecilia and Golden Valley schools. His other professional experience includes serving as head coach for three-time national champion Heredia CCDR in the FECOBA Tournament.
Martinez, who originally hails from San Jose, Cosa Rica, played professionally for the Costa Rican National Team, where he averaged 20 points or more in five different seasons. He was part of eight different national championship squads, most recently helping guide Pro Team Drenes Barba to the championship in 2013 and 2014.
"Henry is a great skill development coach, who also possesses unlimited spirit and energy and we welcome him to our staff," Krystkowiak said in announcing his hire. "He has a willingness to share his basketball experiences, along with his knowledge of the game, and that has created a multitude of opportunities for countless youth in Costa Rica."
His pro career began in 2002 with La Policia in Honduras before joining Bodega Radio (2004) in Guatemala, where he was named the best foreign player in the league. Martinez then saw action with Tiburones BanCentro in Nicaragua for the 2005 season and was once again named the league’s best foreign player. He then played in El Salvador with the Cosmos in 2006 before wrapping up his pro career in Mexico with Guerros de Morelia in 2007.
Martinez is a graduate of Universidad Florencio Del Castillo, earning his bachelor's degree in physical education in 2018. He also graduated from the America University of Puerto Rico in Bayamon in 1999.
Martinez and his wife Helen have two sons, Avery and Ian, and a daughter, Noa. Avery currently plays basketball at Bossier Paris Community College while Ian is a freshman on the men’s basketball team for the Utes.
