Camilo Rodriguez, a former goalkeeper and assistant coach for Southern Wesleyan University Men's Soccer, returns to his alma mater for a third role with the program, head coach.
Rodriguez's roots are very deep at Southern Wesleyan as he completed his undergraduate degree in 2004 and his Masters degree in 2007. He joined the soccer program during his freshman year in 2000 as played a key role for the team in goal during his four years. The 2003 was an extremely successful season for Rodriguez and his teammates. After finishing the regular season with a 2-4 conference record, the Warriors stormed through to the GACC Tournament title by defeating North Georgia College State University, Auburn University of Montgomery, and Reinhardt College, all by the score of 2-1. The post-season heroics didn't stop there as the Warriors won the National Christian College Athletic Association South Region Tournament and advanced to the NCCAA National Championship game, falling to Union University 2-0.
Not only did Rodriguez find success with his team, but he also received several accolades for his individual performance. In 2001 and 2002, he was named 2nd Team All-Conference by the Georgia Alabama Carolina Conference and added a selection on the All-Region Team in the NAIA's Region XIII in 2002. The awards in 2002 didn't stop there as Rodriguez was also named to the NCCAA All-South Region squad.
After being away from the program for a year, Rodriguez returned in 2004 as the goalkeeper/assistant coach. He served in that position for three seasons, helping the Warriors attain a record of 15-12 in the very competitive Southern States Athletic Conference and an overall record of 33-30. The highlight of his tenure was SWU's 2-0 defeat of nationally ranked Berry College in the first round of the NAIA Region XIII Tournament.
"Getting my first head coaching position at my alma mater is a great opportunity," said Rodriguez. I've been involved with the program the past four years and now I get the chance to school at the school where I had the privilege to play for four years." When asked about the advantages of being the head coach at his alma mater, Rodriguez commented, "I have a lot of familiarity with SWU, I already have a relationship with many of the players and people at SWU. I'm also very familiar with the SSAC so I have a very good idea of the level of competition we'll face throughout the season."
SWU Director of Athletics Chris Williams has a lot of confidence in Rodriguez's ability to lead the SWU Men's Soccer program. "As a former player and coach at Southern Wesleyan, Camilo understands the university's mission and the athletic department's goals and expectations," said Williams. "This is a great deal for us because not only do we get Camilo, we are also bringing his soon-to-be wife Stephanie Ott, a former player of mine, back to the SWU community."
This is an exciting time for Rodriguez as not only is he transitioning to this new position at SWU, he is also getting married on Saturday, June 14, to Stephanie Ott ('07).
Rodriguez's coaching experience isn't just limited to Southern Wesleyan. He spent three seasons at the helm of the Pendleton High School Women's Soccer team, spent one season as an assistant coach of the SWU Women's Soccer team, and spent last summer serving as the goalkeeper coach for the Charlotte Eagles. While currently residing in Roanoke, Va., Rodriguez has been head coach for the Roanoke Starts Club U-16 team and goalkeeper coach for the high level players.
Rodriguez will officially begin his duties at Southern Wesleyan on July 1.
