WVU Basketball Names Josh Martinez Strength and Conditioning Director

The WVU basketball program has named Jason Martinez their assistant director of strength and conditioning, as announced by West Virginia on Friday.

Martinez, a native of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., comes from North Texas and has also spent time in the same capacity at Iona, East Carolina, Wake Forest and Lindenwood.

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐅𝐅 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓

Welcome to Almost Heaven, Jason Martinez!

🔗 https://t.co/Vvq3GrnXzx pic.twitter.com/qe7C9iAW1I

— WVU Men's Basketball (@WVUhoops) April 25, 2025

Martinez spent the last two seasons at North Texas. This past season at UNT, the Mean Green won 27 games and advanced to the semifinals of NIT. The Mean Green ranked third in the country in scoring defense at 60.1 points per game, 1.5 points behind first-place Houston. UNT had the AAC’s second-most efficient offense and second-most efficient defense. UNT’s 27 wins were the second-most single season wins in school history and the 14 league victories were tied for the third-most league wins in school history. North Texas had five players earn all-conference honors.

UNT won 19 games in his first season in 2023-24 and reached the second round of the NIT. The 10 league wins and .555 league winning percentage were both the best by a first-year UNT men’s basketball staff. UNT won 46 games during his two seasons in Denton.

“Jason has the unique ability to push our athletes past their comfort zone while developing trust and meaningful relationships,” WVU head coach Ross Hodge said. “He is always eager to learn and find new ways to implement training techniques that best serves our athletes.”

Prior to North Texas, Martinez worked with Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino at Iona. In his last season there, he helped the Gales to 27 wins, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships and an NCAA Tournament automatic bid. Martinez helped guide Walter Clayton Jr. to being named the 2023 MAAC Player of the Year and Berrick JeanLouis to the 2003 MAAC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Martinez previously worked with men’s basketball programs at East Carolina for two seasons, Wake Forest and Lindenwood, where he earned his master’s degree in human performance in 2019. He earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science in 2010 from Manhattan College. Martinez also served as an athletic performance intern at Penn State, Clemson and Manhattan.

Most of this story was taken from the WVU press release. 

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