Jorge Rodriguez `12, one of the top four-year setters in school history, will be the 13th head coach of the New Jersey City University men’s volleyball team when it takes the floor for its 29th season in 2018. Rodriguez was named head coach of his alma mater in May, 2017, after serving the previous three seasons as the assistant men’s volleyball coach.
Rodriguez, 29, 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. Rodriguez also served as the head coach of the 2014 UCHS freshmen boys program for one year.
Rodriguez was head coach of the junior varsity boys coach 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.
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. In 342 sets over 109 matches, he added 436 digs, 102 kills and 197.0 points. He averaged 7.57 assists and 1.27 digs per set for his career.
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.
Born in September, 1987, he was raised in Cuba until immigrating to the United States in 2004. He resides in Union City.
