By Judah Breitbach
Leaving behind an NWACC championship and an undefeated season falling just short of another title victory, men’s soccer head coach and 2016 NWAC Coach of the Year Cale Rodriguez quit his position last Saturday, Jan. 21 in favor of an assistant coaching position with UC Irvine.
Rodriguez is leaving big cleats to fill as he came in as a first year NWAC coach in 2015 and won it the title. He attributes his fast paced rise to the top to a great class of 2016. “What that group accomplishes moving forward speaks to their commitment as a group on the field and in the classroom” said Rodriguez of a championship he didn’t expect to win so quickly.
“It’s difficult leaving behind such a talented group of players like Clarence Wong, Henry Bernabe, Jose Soto, Demar Stewart and others,” mentioned Rodriguez.
Rodriguez put heavy emphasis on basing his success as a coach on the academic success of his former athletes at their respective four year schools. “My level of success as a coach won’t be determined for another four years based on how this class and the preceding classes do at their respective four year schools,” said Rodriguez.
“Working at a two year school can be a challenge because you get to work with players for so long before they move on,” said Rodriguez when asked how an incoming coach might be as successful. “Whoever takes over the program will have a great opportunity to be successful with this program and with these players.”
Athletic Director Rick Ross said that he’s expecting the applications for Rodriguez’s position to be competitive, and he hopes to fill the role by the end of winnter quarter.