Mark Rodriguez Joins Cards' Track & Field Program
September 22, 2004 | Men's Track and Field
Sept. 22, 2004
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Former Indiana State assistant coach Mark Rodriguez has been named throws coach for the University of Louisville track and field program Cardinals' head coach Ron Mann announced today.
Rodriguez arrives in Louisville following a nine-year stint as an assistant at Indiana State where he coached the Sycamores' throwers and multi-event athletes. Prior to his tenure at ISU, Rodriguez served for four seasons as an assistant coach at Manchester College.
"We're extremely excited to have a coach of Mark's caliber joining our program," Mann said. "His background in the throws and multi-events is superb, and he will bring continued credibility to our program. With this final addition to our coaching staff, we now have a strong recruiting presence in every event on a regional and national level."
During his nine years at ISU, Rodriguez had throwers enter or improve on the top 10 all-time list 517 times, set school records in the throws 49 times, break 36 meet records and 12 All-Time Missouri Valley Conference records. He also coached 184 MVC Place-Winners, 79 All-MVC athletes and 27 MVC Conference Champions in the throwing events and had throwers selected as the MVC Championship Field Athlete of the Meet seven times.
"I am very excited to be at the University of Louisville," Rodriguez said. "I came here because of the vision and commitment both (U of L athletic director) Tom Jurich and Coach Ron Mann have for Louisville athletics, especially with the upcoming move to the Big East Conference in 2005. I'm thrilled with the chance to be at the forefront of a new era of winning for Cardinals track and field."
During his coaching career, Rodriguez has coached athletes to 102 national qualification performances, had 61 national qualifiers, 29 US Championships qualifiers, 20 Academic All-Americans, 17 All-Americans, 10 NCAA Regional qualifiers, nine National Strength and Conditioning All-Americans, five Olympic Trials qualifiers, four World Police and Fire Games silver medalists, one NCAA champion and has had throwers ranked in the world 45 times. He is also certified as a Level I instructor by US Track and Field as well as having his Level I & Level II coaching certifications.
Prior to coaching, Rodriguez began his collegiate athletic career as a thrower at Purdue University before an injury ended his career early. He then transferred to Manchester College where he earned his bachelor's degree in physical education (1994) and his master's degree in exercise science (1997).
Rodriguez joins assistant coaches Brice Allen, Floyd Brazier and Foli James on head coach Ron Mann's first U of L track and field coaching staff.
