Utah head men’s basketball coach Larry Krystkowiak has finalized his coaching staff with the addition of assistant coach Henry Martinez and director of player development Donny Daniels.
Martinez joins Utah 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,” said Krystkowiak. “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.”
Daniels makes his way back to the U following coaching stops at Cal State Fullerton, UCLA and, most recently, Gonzaga. In his nine seasons in Spokane, Daniels was instrumental in helping lead the Bulldogs to an overall record of 277-49, eight West Coach Conference regular-season championships, and nine NCAA Tournament appearances, including five Sweet Sixteen’s, three Elite Eights and a NCAA runner-up finish in 2017.
Daniels served as an assistant coach for the Runnin’ Utes under head coach Rick Majerus from 1990-2000. During Daniels’ 11 seasons at Utah, the Utes reached the NCAA Tournament eight times and were the national runner-ups in 1998. Daniels was also the chief recruiter of Andre Miller and Keith Van Horn to Salt Lake City.
Daniels played his college ball on Cal State Fullerton’s first two NCAA Division I teams in 1974-75 and 1975-76 under head coach Bobby Dye. His senior year, Daniels was selected the top defender on a team that won the school’s only conference basketball championship when it earned a share of the 1976 Pacific Coast Athletic Association title. Prior to his two-year playing career at Cal State Fullerton, Daniels played for one season at Scottsdale Community College (1973) and for one year at Los Angeles Harbor College (1974).
“Donny brings a wealth of experience and value to our program,” Krystkowiak noted. “His basketball knowledge, his life experiences and his community impact alone will go far in connecting our program’s past with the present.
“We talk a great deal about DNA being our team motto, which means being Different, Noticeable and Appealing. Both Henry and Donny possess these attributes and we are excited to have these gentlemen joining our program.”
https://utahutes.com/news/2019/5/30/mens-basketball-finalizes-coaching-staff.aspx
