Arizona softball hires Danny Martinez as director of operations

When she put together her new staff, Arizona head softball coach Caitlin Lowe brought in new ideas by hiring coaches with no ties to Arizona. Sometimes sticking with the familiar is a good idea, though. Lowe did just that with her new director of operations, hiring longtime Arizona Athletics staffer and former softball sports information director Danny Martinez for the role.

The position is what keeps everything running smoothly. Making sure trips are planned. Making sure players are where they need to be. Almost everything that happens behind the scenes off the field has ops’ hand in it.

The position was suddenly vacated just before the start of last season when former Arizona great Stacy Iveson retired. She had handled both operations and recruiting coordination since 2018.

Lowe decided to put off hiring a recruiting coordinator until after the season, but the need for someone in operations was more pressing. Her husband Paul Nagy took care of the operations duties on a temporary basis for the 2023 season. He returned to his own field full-time last week when he was introduced as the director of girls’ soccer at FC Tucson.

That left Lowe looking for a permanent replacement for the operations role. Martinez has worked in the communications and marketing departments at Arizona Athletics for over a decade. He spent the past two years working with digital marketing and social media. He was the SID for the program under former head coach Mike Candrea from 2011-21.

“We’re excited to welcome Danny back to the Arizona softball family,” Arizona head coach Caitlin Lowe was quoted in the department’s press release. “Danny has always been passionate about our program and represents what it means to wear the Block A. He is invested in the well-being of our players and will elevate our program.”

Perhaps nothing showed the love Martinez has for the program than him trying to hold it together and sound acceptably neutral as he worked the PA during the win that sent Arizona back to the Women’s College World Series in 2019.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this staff and this program,” Martinez said in the release. “I have a great deal of passion for Arizona softball and cannot wait to be a part of the team once again. I cannot thank Coach Lowe and the entire staff enough for welcoming me in.”

Martinez will continue his role as PA announcer in Hillenbrand Stadium.

Lowe still needs to hire a recruiting coordinator. Arizona has not had one, even on a temporary basis, since Iveson retired.

Players begin individual workouts the first full week of September.