Justin Cotler Joins HWPO Training Coaching Team
HWPO Training has announced it’s expanding its coaching staff and bringing on Justin Cotler as the Director of Coaching.
- The founder and owner of Underdogs Athletics is a seasoned, highly respected coach in CrossFit, guiding multiple elite athletes to the CrossFit Games over the past decade.
HWPO Training announced the move through a press release and social media posts on Monday, September 15.
- The training program, built by five-time Fittest Man on Earth Mat Fraser, has become a household name in the CrossFit community. The brand is known for its world-class coaching staff and spanning training programs for the everyday athlete.
Some of Cotler’s most notable athletes include Kari Pearce, Bethany Flores, Alex Gazan, Danielle Brandon, and Ricky Garard. While he has trained multiple CrossFit Games podium finishers, he has yet to produce a gold medalist.
With the move to HWPO Training, Cotler has one clear goal in mind:
- “What I want to do is help bring a champion to HWPO again in the same way that Mat [Fraser] was for all those years. It’s going to start from the top down, and that’s just the way it’s got to be, and this is the right place to do it,” Cotler said in a video on HWPO Training’s Instagram.
In a separate post on his personal Instagram profile, Cotler provided more details about this move, citing a health issue with his daughter and the need to step back from managing a business. He didn’t specify what would happen to Underdogs Athletics.
- “I guess that’s the million-dollar question. I don’t really see it necessarily as leaving Underdogs. I see it as the next evolution of what I feel like is the best thing for me and even maybe the best thing for that community,” Cotler said in the video.
He also shared that his daughter, Ivy, has an incurable, rare kidney disease and realized his priorities had shifted to his family.
- “It just became very obvious to me that I wanted to dial in on the things that I love, and the things that I love are my family and coaching,” he said.
Cotler will join HWPO Training staff’s impressive roster, including Michele Letendre, Jake Marconi, Josh Godinez, and Steven Fawcett, among others.
- Mat Fraser, in the press release: “I’ve spent a good amount of time with Justin over the years —what’s there not to like?… He’s a great person, and his resume of what he’s accomplished and his athletes speak for itself. It’s going to provide a better service for our athletes.”
The bottom line: This shift is a big deal for the HWPO Training brand as it continues to grow its athlete roster and strong coaching staff. Their dominance is noticeable and will be intriguing to watch as we prepare for the 2026 season.
Featured image: HWPO Training
