José Rodriguez is in his third year as an assistant coach of the men’s and women’s cross country teams in 2019-20.
Rodriguez came to Cabrini after a successful eight year run as head coach at Penn State Abington, where he began the Abington women’s cross country program in 2009 and started the men’s program one year later.
Rodriguez helped the Nittany Lions men and women win 22 cross country invitationals, with 39 student-athletes earning All-NEAC accolades, including a pair of NEAC Runner of the Year honorees and a NEAC Male Rookie of the Year award. His student-athletes also combined to earn more than 30 NEAC Runner of the Week awards.
Rodriguez was rewarded for his on the course success, as he was named NEAC Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2016. He also claimed the University’s McGettigan Coach of the Year honor in 2012 and 2014.
Off the course, Rodriguez also maintained a strong focus on academics, as his teams received U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team honors, with 70% of the team claiming Dean’s List recognition each semester.
Rodriguez joined the Cabrini University community in September 2017 as Director of Student Diversity Initiatives. In his role, Rodriguez develops, implements, and assesses campus inclusivity initiatives by promoting trainings, education, and a positive environment in order to advance student and faculty success.
In March 2018, Rodriguez was also elected Vice-Chair of the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interest Committee (MOIC). As the Vice-Chair elect of the MOIC, Rodriguez also serves as a representative for the committee on additional task forces and projects including the Women of the Year Committee within the Committee on Women’s Athletics and the Gender Equity Task Force. He also was asked to be a part of the Common Ground retreat which will bring religious institutions and LGBTQIA organizations together to discuss topics that help better serve their campuses.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Allegheny College and a Master of Education from the University of Pennsylvania.
