Coach Rod Enters the Hall of Fame & Retires

April 14, 2020 - 10:44 AM

Few can remember a time that Coach Rod was not on the sidelines and counseling student athletes at Mt. SAC. After nearly 40 years as a Mountie, Evans Roderick has taken his last bow and possibly his last honor as he enters the California Community College Athletic Association 2020 Hall of Fame.

“This Coronavirus has just put a halt to everything, including all sports and practice” said Roderick, better known as Coach Rod. In a phone call from his home, he delivered the surprising news that he had retired. Coach Rod had pulled himself back to just coaching for the college in recent years, “and I can’t do that for the time being, so I just thought it was a good time to focus on my grandchildren.”

COVID-19 caused the cancellation of the 2020 Hall of Fame induction ceremony, as well. The 2020 inductees will go in along with the 2021 inductees in April 2021, Roderick was told.

His induction into the Hall of Fame was primarily for creating the state’s first Athletic Counseling program at a community college.

“We started the program in 1984,” said Roderick. “Back then, you could be eligible to play with a 1.75 GPA, so athletic programs were producing great athletes who were not necessarily good students.”

The program spawned many other programs across the state and nation. Ultimately, he founded and served as president of the Community College Counselors/Advisors Academic Association (3C4A) for 30 years.

“The students were just trying to get an athletic scholarship to a four-year university,” he explained. “That was their plan. But for most kids, their playing days are going to end way before they want them to, and then what are they going to do?”  

"Rod was my coach when I went to Mt. SAC in 1982-83," said now Head Football Coach Bob Jastrab. "Even back then, when it was easy to remain eligible, Rod was offering counseling that players were not getting from other coaches. He stressed that getting the grades was the key to moving on in athletics and life. He will be sorely missed."

With Roderick, separating the coach from the counselor can be difficult. However, he considers the counseling program as his crowning achievement of his four decades at the college.

“Creating this program is much more satisfying than winning championships,” said Coach Rod. “The philosophy behind the program is to teach the students to use those same tools of drive and determination, which made them great athletes, inside the classroom to become great students as well.”

Evans Roderick began at Mt. San Antonio College in 1972, when he was hired as an assistant coach for the football and track and field teams, as well as Assistant Director for the world-famous Mt. SAC Relays.

Roderick served nationally with the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A) and the NCAA. The 3C4A named him Counselor of the Year in 1988 and the N4A recognized him in 1995 with the Distinguished Service Award. He is the only community college counselor to receive that prestigious honor.

Mt. SAC inducted him into its Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015. Despite retiring from the teaching in 2006, Roderick continued as a part-time counselor and was the Associate Head Football Coach for the Mounties through the 2019-2020 season.