According to Spanish Handball site 7metros.com http://www.7metros.com/balonmano-article1349.html, Isidoro Martinez Martin has been hired as the new US Men’s National Team Coach. Previously, until this season, he had been the Assistant Coach at Ademar Leon, a top Spanish 1st Division Club. He is scheduled to start work on 22 May at a training camp in Alabama prior to the Men’s Pan Am Championships. According to Telemadrid.es, http://www.telemadrid.es/actualidad/noticia.pag?codigo=149401, former US National Team Coach, Javier García Cuesta, appears to have played a role in his hiring. Additionally, it appears that the contract is a short term one focused on the Men’s Pan Am Championship.

Note: This information was gleaned through automatic translation websites, and anyone who can provide a more accurate translation of the significant points of these articles please feel free to post in the comments section.

Side Note: Spanish naming conventions can be confusing to Americans. For instance, I was always confused as to why the last names on player jerseys sometimes didn’t match the last name on the roster. A Spanish coworker set me straight. Typically, there are 4 names (First, middle, Father’s last name, Mother’s last name) When Spaniards are confronted with an Anglo naming convention they have several options on how to handle it. Often, but not always, they drop the Mother’s last name and simply use the first 3 names. Assuming this is the case with the new coach, he would be Coach Martinez.