Rob Martinez

Rob Martinez

Rob Martinez, who has been the head coach at Howard College for the previous three seasons, joined UTRGV baseball as an assistant coach on July 22, 2019 and was promoted to associate head coach on Sept. 1, 2023. He also serves as the recruiting coordinator.

As UTRGV’s recruiting coordinator, Martinez has played a significant role in most signings since he arrived. Nine of Martinez’s recruits earned All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) honors, including RJ Ochoa in 2021, Kevin Stevens in 2021 and 2022, Montclair Cain in 2022, Isaac Lopez and Brandon Pimentel in 2022 and 2023, Angelo Cabral in 2023, and Steven Lancia, Zach Tjelmeland and Kade York in 2024.

In 2024, UTRGV went 29-25 and averaged 6.74 runs per game. Martin Vazquez hit 17 home runs, the fourth-highest single-season total in program history, while CJ Valdez hit 10 home runs, tied for 13th. The Vaqueros finished with 58 home runs, the fifth-highest single-season total in program history. Lancia hit .344. Vazquez (.318) and Valdez (.316) also eclipsed .300.

In 2023, UTRGV finished the season with a 30-26 record, including a winning record on the road for the first time since 2000. Martinez spent most of his coaching time working with the position players on hitting. UTRGV ranked in the top 100 nationally in five offensive categories, including batting average at .301 (37th), on-base percentage at .394 (71st), hits with 579 (90th), runs with 406 (98th), and slugging percentage at .466 (100th).

In 2022, UTRGV finished the season with a 33-25 record, including an 18-8 record at home. UTRGV ranked in the top 100 nationally in five offensive categories, including batting average at .290 (69th), triples with 14 (79th), hits with 563 (90th), slugging percentage at .454 (92nd), and home runs with 63 (96th).
 
Martinez handled pitch calling responsibilities during his first two seasons, helping the pitchers to rank in the top 100 nationally in three categories in 2022, including shutouts with 5 (17th), strikeout-to-walk ratio at .216 (94th), and strikeouts per nine innings at 8.9 (99th).

In 2021, Martinez's first full recruiting class shined, helping UTRGV to the WAC Tournament Championship Series for first time in program history … UTRGV finished with a 32-26 record, including a program record 20 WAC wins (20-15) and received votes in two National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) polls twice (Feb. 22 and March 8) … UTRGV two out of three from Baylor, marking the program’s first series victory over a Big 12 opponent since 2000 while earning three wins against Power 5 competition (two vs. Baylor and one at Washington) … Newcomers Freddy Rojas Jr. and RJ Ochoa earned All-WAC honors … Rojas earned back-to-back National Player of the Week honors (March 22 and 29) after hitting home runs in six-consecutive game, two shy of the NCAA record … UTRGV ranked among the WAC and NCAA leaders in multiple categories … Offensively, UTRGV scored a WAC-high 371 runs, the 45th-best total in the NCAA, a WAC-leading average of 6.4 per game, the 82nd best in the NCAA … UTRGV hit 50 home runs, the fifth-highest single-season total in program history, second in the WAC and 97th in the NCAA,  and 107 doubles, ranking second in the WAC and 41st in the NCAA, en route to a WAC-best .442 slugging percentage, the 77th-best in the NCAA … UTRGV hit .284, ranking second in the WAC and 61st in the NCAA, while posting a .377 on-base percentage, which ranked second in the WAC and 77th in the NCAA  … On the mound, UTRGV ranked second in the WAC and 81st in the NCAA with a 4.61 ERA … Defensively, the Vaqueros turned 39 double plays, the 66th-best total in the NCAA.

Martinez, who has 15 years of coaching experience, compiled a 103-68 (.602) record as the head coach at Howard, winning at least 32 games and advancing to the NJCAA Regionals every year.
 
Martinez became the head coach after serving as an assistant coach in 2015, when the team went 43-15. That was the start of Martinez’s second stint at Howard, after previously serving as an assistant from 2011-13, winning two Western Junior College Athletic Conference Championships while going 128-48 (.727).
 
In between stints at Howard, Martinez served as the head coach at El Paso Community College (EPCC), where he developed Eudor Garcia and Jeremy Rivera in 2014. Garcia was named NJCAA National Player of the Year and selected in the fourth round of the MLB Draft by the New York Mets. Rivera was a 17th round pick selection of the Boston Red Sox.
 
Martinez worked at EPCC twice as well, initially starting there in 2009 as the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator. He also served as the bench coach for the El Paso Diablos of the American Association in 2010.
 
Martinez began his career as an assistant coach at East Central Community College, helping the team to win a conference championship in 2007.
 
While in the junior college ranks, Martinez developed about 100 NCAA Division I student-athletes.
 
Originally from El Paso, Martinez played collegiately at Howard, earning First Team All-American honors and the Rawlings Big Stick award for the Southwest District by hitting .448 with seven home runs, 17 doubles and 70 RBI in 2004. Martinez finished his playing career in 2006 at the University of West Alabama, where he was twice named First Team All-Conference. Martinez earned his Bachelor of Science in Physical Education in 2008.
 
In addition to coaching collegiately, Martinez served as the head baseball coach and physical education instructor at Eastwood High School in 2015. Martinez played at Eastwood, earning All-State honors in 2002 and 2003.