Adam Rodriguez resigns as Waite basketball coach

5/16/2018
BY STEVE JUNGA
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
  • Adam-Rodriguez-1-27

    Waite coach Adam Rodriguez has stepped down after six years leading the team.

    THE BLADE/KATIE RAUSCH
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  • Adam Rodriguez resigned as head boys basketball coach at Waite High School after six seasons guiding the Indians.

    Waite coach Adam Rodriguez has stepped down after six years leading the team.
    Waite coach Adam Rodriguez has stepped down after six years leading the team.

    Rodriguez, 38, said family was the reason he is ending his run of 24 years being involved with basketball, either as a player or coach at the high school and college levels.

    “I’ve got two young kids, a son, Benny [5] and a daughter, Lucy [9], and they’re doing their own things now,” Rodriguez said. “Lucy plays fastpitch softball for the Wizards [travel team], and my son pretty much likes every sport he finds.

    “I can’t be two places at one time, and that made it difficult. It’s time to move on and to be a dad.”

    Rodriguez played three seasons on the varsity team at Woodward before transferring to Start for his senior year in 1997-98. He then played two years at Tiffin University before becoming a high school assistant at Bowsher. He was an assistant at Rogers for seven years, at Start for one, and at Whitmer for two before taking the head-coaching post at Waite in 2012.

    His Indians teams were 48-85 overall and 15-45 in City League play. His best finish came in 2016-17, when Waite was 13-10 overall and 5-5 in the CL.

    “My experience at Waite was great. I didn’t know much about the East Side when I went over there. The head coach now at Northview, [Waite grad and former player] Jeremy McDonald, told me I should apply, and I’m glad I did.

    “I really enjoyed my time, and the kids put in some hard work. We accomplished some things, and we were pretty competitive every year except my first year. I loved it. The East Side’s a great community, and it was a good place to be.”

    Rodriguez, a social worker at the Zepf Center, also said a recent promotion will require a greater time commitment, and would have cut into his available time for family and coaching.

    Contact Steve Junga at: sjunga@theblade.com419-724-6461, or on Twitter @JungaBlade.