Sixers hire Martin as Director of Performance Research and Development

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia 76ers have hired Dr. David T. Martin as the team’s Director of Performance Research and Development.

Martin has been a pioneer in revolutionizing the way world-class athletes train for two decades. In this newly created role, Martin will oversee all aspects of the Sixers sport science, performance, training, rehabilitation and medical initiatives.

“Building up our sport science capabilities has been an important focus of the Sixers under Josh Harris and David Blitzer,” said Sixers President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Sam Hinkie. “To give our players every opportunity to be healthy and remain healthy, while also allowing them to perform at their best, we have made many investments – adding staff and integrating outside experts, partnering with pioneers in sports science and technology, and adjusting our day-to-day training, practice and recovery plans.”

“But none like David Martin. He is a scientist. He is also a coach to some of the world’s highest performing, most resilient athletes and coaches. We are delighted to add someone of his immense talents to lead and grow our efforts.”

Martin’s hire was the result of a yearlong search and recruitment effort, and he joins the Sixers from his Senior Sport Science position within the renowned Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).

“The opportunity to work with the Sixers at this particular time is incredibly exciting for me. This organization has attracted an amazing group of high caliber leaders, innovators and coaches who are all focused on pursuing excellence in sport. The leadership group that is currently in place is fostering a positive culture that encourages a creative, forward-thinking approach. I can’t think of a better place to be – the mission and goals of the Sixers align very closely with mine and the people with whom I get to work are outstanding.

"I am looking forward to getting started, growing resources and expertise that will contribute to player readiness, providing competitive advantages and creating something special for the city of Philadelphia."

Martin has accumulated 21 years of experience working with elite athletes and is widely recognized as an innovator and leader in high performance sport. He is also an accomplished applied sport scientist with more than 100 publications investigating topics such as talent identification, development of power, fatigue management, competition analysis, altitude training, and thermoregulation. Additionally, Martin has worked with numerous world-class coaches across a number of different sports, including basketball.

Most recently, Martin was appointed as the Senior Sports Scientist and Team Leader for the AIS Combat Centre, a new initiative he spearheaded designed to raise international competitiveness in four Australian Olympic combat sports.

Since the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Martin acted as the National Sport Science Coordinator for Cycling Australia.  Over the last five summer Olympic Games, the cycling teams supported by Martin and his colleagues have won eight Gold, eight Silver and 12 Bronze medals.  He has also worked with Australian World Record holders, World Champions and Australia’s only winner of the Tour de France, and frequently presents findings from his research at international sport science meetings.