New Jersey City University Athletics

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University athletics has announced that Jorge Rodriguez `12, the assistant men's and women's volleyball coach since 2015, has been named head men's volleyball coach. He becomes the 13th head coach in program history. Meanwhile, Robert Cole, previously head men's and women's volleyball coach, will assume the role of Director of Volleyball Operations while continuing as head women's coach.
 
Rodriguez, 29, one of the top four-year setters in school history and a native of Havana, Cuba, will continue in his role on the sidelines as assistant women's volleyball coach for a third campaign in Fall, 2017, where he helped the Gothic Knights qualify for the first-ever expanded ECAC Division III Tournament in 2016 as NJCU went 15-15 and reached the postseason for the first time since 2007.
 
In three seasons as NJCU men's assistant coach, the Knights have won 47 matches, posted two winning campaigns, and twice advanced to the Skyline Conference Tournament—the No. 3 seed and the semifinals in 2015 and the quarterfinals as the No. 5 seed in 2016.
 
Before joining the coaching staff for Robert Cole in 2015, he launched his coaching career as assistant varsity girls coach for two seasons at Union City High School. He helped guide the program to a 41-17 record. In his first season in 2013, he guided the Soaring Eagles to a 20-6 record and advanced to the Hudson County championship match. In his second season in 2014, UCHS was 21-11 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. He also served as the head coach of the 2014 UCHS freshmen boys program.
 
Rodriguez was head coach of the junior varsity boys at his alma mater, Memorial High School, for two years (2014-16) and assistant varsity coach during that time span.
 
Rodriguez previously coached two years in the Sideout Sports Volleyball Club, mentoring the 2014 17u purple and 2015 15U blue squads.
 
Rodriguez, on coaching at his alma mater, said: "This is very exciting. It's an honor for me. Our goal is to win as much as possible. But not only that, we want to prepare these kids to be good athletes on the court but most importantly be good human beings off the court."
 
As a collegiate student-athlete, Rodriguez served as NJCU co-captain as a senior in 2011. In his four seasons on the court for Coach Carlo Edra, NJCU went a combined 65-62 (.512). As a sophomore in 2009, the program enjoyed its seventh and most-recent 20-win season, going 20-16 while reaching the semifinals of the ECAC Division III South Tournament as the No. 3 seed. In 2010, the program had its fifth-best winning percentage in school history (.621), finishing the year at 18-11. The Knights qualified for the enormous NECVA Tournament as the No. 16 seed, then as the No. 2 seed nearly won the ECAC Division III South Tournament, losing an epic championship match in five sets at Hunter—bowing 18-16 in the final game.
 

Statistically, Rodriguez ranks third in school history with 2,590 career assists. He had 40 or more assists 16 times and 50 or more four times, including a career-high 60 in a 3-2 loss at Stevenson in the ECAC Semifinals on April 11, 2009.
 
A 2007 graduate of Memorial High School in West New York, N.J., he was a multi-sport athlete for the Tigers. He played three seasons of volleyball and swam for three years—both for legendary coach John Wengerter. He also played one season of soccer.
 
A May 2012 graduate of NJCU with a B.S. in Fire Science, before completing the alternate route program to become a Spanish teacher. He currently teaches in the West New York school system.
 
Cole, who served as head men's coach from 2014-17, added: "Jorge has seen it all here. He's been a student-athlete, strictly a student and he's also been an assistant coach. He's extremely dedicated to the University, he's extremely dedicated to the sport of volleyball and most importantly he's extremely dedicated to the student-athletes and what we're trying to do here. He wants to see these kids do well on the court and very well off the court. I'm really excited about the possibilities."
 

NCAA COLLEGE TRANSACTION:
 
NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY—Jorge Rodriguez, previously assistant coach, named head men's volleyball coach. Robert Cole, formerly head men's volleyball coach, appointed Director of Volleyball Operations and remains head women's volleyball coach.
 
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