Kansas analyst Oscar Rodriguez set to become head coach at Southwestern College

Kansas football defensive analyst Oscar Rodriguez is moving on from Lawrence, according to Adam Rittenberg of ESPN. He’s set to become the head football coach at Southwestern College in San Diego, California. He joined the Jayhawks coaching staff in February of 2022 as a defensive analyst.

He came to Kansas after three seasons with the Akron Zips, where he was their inside linebackers coach. Rodriguez was promoted in the summer of 2021 to associate head coach before being labeled as the interim head coach on November 4th, 2021.

He’s got extensive coaching experience in the state of California. Rodriguez was the defensive coordinator for three seasons for the University of La Verne (California) where he was the 2017 NCAA Division III AFCA National Assistant Coach of the Year. He led a Leopards defense that led the SCIAC in defensive touchdowns and tied for second in sacks in conference play. La Verne also allowed the fewest yards per game in the conference at 383.3 total yards.

After going 2-7 in the year before Rodriguez’ arrival, La Verne went a perfect 7-0 in SCIAC play in 2015. They won their first SCIAC championship since 1995 and made the NCAA National Championship for the first time since 1994.

Rodriguez also has extensive experience with the JUCO ranks in the state of Kansas–a state that has long been home to some of the nation’s top JUCO football programs. He coached at Garden City, sending eight players to Division I schools, while being in charge of the (Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference) KJCCC’s No. 1 defense. He also worked with their special teams’ unit and they ranked No. 1 in the conference in blocked kicks and field goal percentage.

Another stop he made in the Kansas JUCO ranks was at Hutchinson Community College (2010-2011), yet another perennial power. There he guided Markus Golden, Meshak Williams, and Cordarrelle Patterson to All-American seasons when he was the co-defensive coordinator and associate head coach. All three players would go onto the NFL eventually. During Rodriguez’s time at Hutchinson Community College, they ranked in the top 10 nationally in every defensive category.

He got his first coaching job in the high school coaching ranks, at Randall (Texas) High School as their defensive backs coach in 2005. Rodriguez got his first college job at Washburn (Kansas) University, where he coached a number of future NFL players.