Mark Hernandez is a 3rd generation Austinite and a 2nd generation University of Texas graduate. He’s always had a spirit of adventure and loves to try new things because “why not?”. A lover of the outdoors, most of his youth was spent exploring the wildlife of Walnut Creek and fishing at various tanks and lakes around Austin- as a result, his boyhood bedroom resembled a reptile and amphibian zoo. To his mother’s delight and relief, his interests were diverted to sports and competition after he started high school.

While attending UT, he continued his passion for competition and played multiple sports at the club, collegiate, and national levels. His first experience in coaching came when his club soccer coach recommended him as a coach for one of the local high schools. Mark retired from competition in the late 90s, but continued coaching at the high school and collegiate levels. In 2005, he discovered acting and another passion was born. In 2018, while continuing to work on stage and screen, Mark received his personal training certification from WITS and is currently a level II coach.

Mark feels it is important to give back through coaching and has always been driven to communicate and motivate by example. He experiences the most joy in coaching at the moment when an athlete gets it or, as he likes to say, “when the lightbulb go on.”