Tritons add Power Four recruiting standout Matt Martinez and rising coaching talent Molly Spano as Head Coach Marko Djordjevic continues building a nationally competitive NCAA Division I swimming program.
Head Coach Marko Djordjevic announced the addition of Matt Martinez as Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator and Molly Spano as Assistant Coach, bringing together two rising coaching talents with experience developing conference champions, NCAA finalists, Olympians, and elite recruiting classes.
The hires come as the Tritons continue to build momentum in The Big West Conference and position the program for sustained national success.
Matt Martinez Brings Power Four Pedigree
Martinez arrives in La Jolla following an impressive coaching journey through some of college swimming's premier programs.
Most recently, he served as an assistant coach at the University of Kentucky, helping guide the Wildcats to their highest NCAA Championship finish in more than 15 years while contributing to the establishment of 10 school records during the 2025-26 season.
His responsibilities included:
- Daily athlete development
- Technical stroke instruction
- Championship meet preparation
- Recruiting
- Program development
Before Kentucky, Martinez spent three seasons as Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Wisconsin, where he transformed the Badgers' recruiting efforts.
His recruiting success included securing two nationally ranked Top-15 recruiting classes, highlighted by multiple USA Swimming Junior National Champions.
On the pool deck, Martinez helped develop one of the Big Ten's strongest breaststroke groups while contributing to two of the most successful men's conference championship finishes in Wisconsin history.
His résumé also includes work with elite swimmers such as:
- Olympian Phoebe Bacon
- NCAA finalist Jake Newmark
- Olympic gold medalist Ryan Murphy
- NCAA champion Hugo Gonzalez
- Destin Lasco
- Olympian Jack Alexy
Martinez also served on California's 2022 NCAA championship coaching staff before gaining international coaching experience in Sydney, Australia.
Molly Spano Continues Rapid Coaching Rise
Joining Martinez is Molly Spano, one of collegiate swimming's promising young coaches.
Spano spent the past two seasons helping transform Swarthmore College into one of Division III's premier programs.
Her accomplishments include helping guide:
- Two consecutive Centennial Conference women's championships
- A fourth straight men's conference title
- 20 NCAA Division III Championship qualifiers
- 68 All-America honors
- 40 school records
- 182 all-time Top-10 performances
Away from the collegiate season, Spano has also coached at the nationally respected University of Texas Swim Camps for four consecutive summers.
Former Standout Swimmer Brings Athlete Perspective
Spano also understands elite competition firsthand.
She competed at both Southwestern University and the University of Lynchburg, earning multiple all-conference honors while setting numerous school records.
Among her accomplishments:
- First swimmer in Southwestern history to earn First Team All-SCAC honors in the 400 Individual Medley
- Continues to hold Southwestern's 400 IM record
- Six school records at Lynchburg
- Four All-ODAC honors during her graduate season
Her academic credentials include degrees in:
- Kinesiology
- Exercise Sports Studies
- MBA with emphasis in Sports Management
Building a Championship Culture
Djordjevic praised both hires, emphasizing their ability to elevate the Tritons both competitively and academically.
He highlighted Martinez's experience recruiting elite talent and building championship-caliber programs while describing Spano as an energetic coach committed to student-athlete development and meaningful relationships.
Spano said joining UC San Diego represents an opportunity to combine academic excellence with elite athletic performance.
A Program on the Rise
UC San Diego has experienced significant growth since transitioning from NCAA Division II powerhouse to NCAA Division I membership in The Big West Conference.
The athletic department brings an impressive history that includes:
- 30 team national championships
- Nearly 150 individual national championships
- More than 1,400 All-America honors
- 84 Academic All-Americans
- A graduation rate approaching 90 percent—among the highest in Division I public institutions.
Adding coaches with experience at Kentucky, Wisconsin, California, Swarthmore, and internationally signals UC San Diego's continued commitment to becoming one of the West Coast's premier collegiate swimming destinations.
With Martinez strengthening recruiting operations and Spano bringing proven expertise in athlete development, the Tritons appear well-positioned to continue climbing the NCAA Division I ranks.
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-- By Michael R. Thomas
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