MIRANDA MARTINEZ IS BACK WHERE IT ALL STARTED

Meet Miranda Martinez. At just 25 years old, she’s one of the youngest head coaches in the state.

“You know I didn’t expect to be a head coach this soon in my career,” said Miranda Martinez.  “I saw a chance, it opened up and I thought I couldn’t pass up this opportunity.”

Earlier this summer, Martinez was named the new head basketball coach at West Las Vegas High School.  She was working at Enterprise Rent-A Car before landing the job at her alma mater.

“Every day I was like, ‘Gosh, I miss basketball, I miss basketball’,” she recalled.  “I have to coach, that’s what I’m meant to do.”

“To be back here and be able to give the same experience and opportunities to these young girls that I had and maybe even offer them more than what I had.  It’s great to be here.”

She graduated West Las Vegas High School in 2011 and played basketball at New Mexico Highlands while getting her masters.

“It’s different, but it’s nice knowing that she can relate,” said sophomore Briana Marquez.  “She knows what we’re going through and how it is.”

The first-year head coach is setting her goals high in year one.  She wants to get her team to the state tournament at the Pit.

“You know I think these girls have a lot of potential and that’s my goal first year,” said Martinez. “If I have that dream and I can see it, then they’ll eventually see that.”

So what kind of team can we expect to see?

“I like to play a fast pace, get up and down, full court pressure.  When I was a player, I pride myself on defense so that’s what I’m going to continue here as a head coach and aggressive play…all out every game. That’s how I used to play and I hope to keep that going as a head coach.”

As a player Martinez led the Lady Dons to the state title game in 2010, now she’s hoping to do the same as a coach.