Cal State East Bay alumnus and assistant coach Al Roderigues lost to cancer
Cal State East Bay alumnus and assistant volleyball coach Al Roderigues. (Photo: Stanford Athletics)
- March 22, 2010
Al Roderigues, a former Cal State East Bay baseball player and women's volleyball assistant coach, died March 19 at the age of 67 after a 16-month battle with stomach cancer. The Bay Area native and Northern California volleyball institution coached at every level during his career and was an educator in Union City for nearly 40 years.
"Cal State East Bay volleyball has lost a great teacher, coach and friend," CSUEB Head Coach Jim Spagle said. "However, I am very confident that his spirited energy, competitive fire, and warm smile will always be remembered and serve as an inspiration for the Cal State East Bay volleyball family."
For the last seven years, Roderigues served as an assistant at his alma mater, helping the women's volleyball team become one of the most successful athletic programs at Cal State East Bay. During his time with the team, the Pioneers reached the NCAA Division III West Regional each year and accumulated a record of 205-40. Spagle, whom he coached with at James Logan High School in Union City, has been a friend and colleague for 25 years and brought Roderigues back to Cal State East Bay. He received his bachelor's degree in physical education from then-Cal State Hayward and played baseball under former coach and Athletic Director, and Pioneer Athletics Hall of Famer Al Mathews.
Without any experience, Roderigues first began coaching the girl's volleyball team at James Logan High School in 1978 and was later one of the first coaches to develop a boy's high school program. During his 13-year coaching career at James Logan his teams collected 12 Mission Valley Athletic League championships and won four North Coast Section titles. Roderigues was inducted into the James Logan Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009 and the gymnasium at the school was renamed Alfonso Roderigues, Jr. Gymnasium in his honor.
In 1991, Roderigues and Spagle teamed to raise over $40,000 to fund a volleyball exchange experience for James Logan in what was then the Soviet Union. The team competed in Moscow, Leningrad and other areas of Russia and hosted players from Russia in Union City the following year. The exchange was one of the first to take place between the two countries, which saw the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1992.
Roderigues had also served as an assistant for the Stanford men's team for the last 18 years, helping the Cardinal win three conference titles and take home the 1997 NCAA Championship. Though Stanford had struggled in recent years, Roderigues had tabbed them to go from "worst to first" and has served as an inspiration for the team that is now ranked No. 1 in the nation after going 3-25 just three seasons ago.
Throughout his illness, Roderigues remained upbeat, defying the odds and far outlasting the two-month prognosis he received in the fall of 2008. Though his health allowed him to attend just one match this season, Roderigues' positive attitude and dedication to making the sport fun lived on for both the Pioneers and the Cardinal, with the latter hoping to honor Roderigues' legacy when the national title is decided on the Stanford campus in May.
"Al was a dynamic human being who always displayed his positive enthusiasm for people and volleyball," Spagle said. "From the very first day he stepped into Pioneer Gym for practice and matches, he brought a genuine love of training and teaching athletes to be the very best they could be, both on and off the volleyball court."
During his career, Roderigues' demeanor and coaching style caused players of all ages to gravitate to him. Among the players Roderigues coached at youth camps was two-time Olympic beach volleyball gold medalist, Stanford graduate and Bay Area native Kerri Walsh, as well as several future U.S. National Team members.
Roderigues passed away in his sleep early on Friday morning. He is survived by his mother, Marcella, his daughter, Michelle, and his fiancée, Aria.
A visitation and rosary for Roderigues are scheduled for 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively, on Wednesday, March 24 at Our Lady of the Rosary in Union City. A funeral mass and reception will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday at the same location. Stanford is planning to hold a memorial for Roderigues on campus in approximately two weeks. To make a donation to the Al Roderigues Memorial Scholarship fund, mail checks to the New Haven Schools Foundation, 33377 Western Ave., Union City, CA 94587.