Susana Martinez enters her first season as the Head Swimming Coach in 2025-26 after being named as the program’s new Head Coach in January 2025. She also serves as the department’s Diversity and Inclusion Designee.
Martinez comes to Allentown after serving as the Assistant Swim Coach and Assistant Aquatics Director at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland since August 2022. During her time with the Mountaineers, she created and monitored the season plan for the middle distance and distance freestyle swimmers. Martinez also helped schedule, plan, advertise and oversee swim lessons administered by the swimmers at Mount St. Mary's as a part of fundraising. Additionally, she had a hand in recruiting for both the men's and women's swimming and diving.
Prior to her time at Mount St. Mary's, Martinez was the Head Swim Coach at St. Andrews University, an NAIA institution in Laurinburg, North Carolina for two years. She coordinated all aspects of both the men's and women's teams as well as performing maintenance and inspection work for the aquatics facility.
Martinez also gained experience with several Nebraskan swim team, including the Fremont YMCA, along with Life Time Inc. and Diventures in Omaha.
Originally from Virginia, Martinez swam for both Union College in Kentucky and the College of Saint Mary in Nebraska, competing in the NAIA Championships all four years. She was a recipient of the CSCAA America Scholar All-American and the NAIA Champions of Character Award in 2016, and was named Most Inspirational Swimmer of the Year at CSM in 2018.
Additionally, Martinez has certifications as American Swimming Coaches Associations Level 1 (Para Swimming), 2, and 4. She is a certified lifeguard instructor, lifeguard, as well as being certified in First Aid, CPR, AED, and certified pool operator.
Martinez earned two bachelor's degree from Union - one in Human Performance and another in Kinesiology/Exercise Science, graduating in 2017. A master's in Kinesiology/Exercise Science from CSM followed in 2019.
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(Updated 6/6/25)
