RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) head men's basketball coach Brandon Chambers announced on Wednesday the hiring of Joey Rodriguez, who spent the last eight seasons as an assistant coach at Florida International University (FIU), as an assistant coach. 
 
Rodriguez helped the Panthers to 113 wins throughout his tenure helping Jeremy Ballard become the winningest coach at FIU while protecting home court with 80 wins at the Ocean Bank Center. 
 
Last season, Rodriguez guided Florida International to 15 wins, including 12 at home and under his tutelage, helped Corey Stephenson to Conference USA (CUSA) All-Second Team honors and Eric Dibami to All-Freshman and All-Defensive Team honors. 
 
"I am extremely excited to add Joey Rodriguez to our coaching staff," Chambers said. "I have known Joey for almost 20 years, while as a point guard leading us to the Final Four at VCU, to working his way through the coaching ranks. He possesses a great ability to teach the game, especially on the offensive end, as well as recruit high level talent to the Valley. Joey will also be a tremendous addition in the community, because of his unique ability to connect and build meaningful relationships with everyone that he comes across."
 
In 2024-25, Rodriguez guided Jayden Brewer All-CUSA Honorable Mention honors and Vianney Salatchoum CUSA All-Defensive Team honors. 
 
Rodriguez helped the Panthers first CUSA Tournament win since 2018 in 2023-24 while helping Arturo Dean to All-CUSA Third Team and All-Defensive Team honors and Javaunte Hawkins to All-CUSA Honorable Mention honors. 
 
In 2022-23, Rodriguez saw the Panthers record 14 wins, including eight in CUSA play, which was a three-win increase for the second-straight season. He also guided Denver Jones to the program's first-ever All-CUSA First Team selection and Dean to CUSA Freshman of the Year of the Year and All-Defensive Team honors. Dean alongside Dashon Gittens earned CUSA All-Freshman Team honors.
 
Rodriguez helped the Panthers to 15 wins in 2021-22, including 11 of them at home while guiding Jones to 12.5 points per game in his first season with the program. 
 
In 2020-21, Rodriguez saw the Panthers set the program record with 34 assists and 20 three-pointers made in a win over Carver. 
 
In his second season with the program, Rodriguez helped FIU earn their highest ever seeding for the CUSA Tournament where they defeated Rice for the program's second-ever win the CUSA Tournament. Rodriguez also saw the program lead the nation in blocked shots (210) while also ranking 11^th in three-point defense (28.8%) and total steals (280).
 
Rodriguez coached Osasumwen Osaghae to the program's first-ever CUSA Defensive Player of the Year honor, All-Defensive Team, and All-Conference Second Team honors and Devon Andrews to All-CUSA Second Team honors.
 
In his first season, Rodriguez helped guide FIU to a 20-win season, which was the program third time recording 20 or more wins in a season, en route to earning a bid to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, the program's second postseason appearance, where they picked up the program's first-ever postseason victory. 
 
Under Rodriguez's guidance, the Panthers set single-season program records in points (2,798), rebounds (1,218), assists (491), and steals (359) while leading the nation in steals per game (10.6), turnover margin (5.6), and turnovers forced (19.6) and finishing second in total steals. 
 
"I am very excited and grateful to join Coach Chambers here at UTRGV," Rodriguez said. "I have known Brandon for over 15 years, and I am ready and motivated to help him continue the success and momentum built here these last couple of years at UTRGV. I have had the honor to work and play for some of the best people in this profession and I cannot wait to help these young men. I also want to thank my wife Chanel for her love and support throughout this journey and our family is very excited to work and #RallyTheValley."
 
Prior to his time at FIU, Rodriguez spent the 2017-18 season at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) as the director of player development. 
 
Prior to joining VCU, Rodriguez spent the 2016-17 season at Rice as the video coordinator where he helped the owls to an 11-win improvement and the program's first-ever 20-win season in more than a decade. 
 
Rodriguez spent a couple of seasons in the high school ranks where he was the head coach at Lake Howell, his high school alma mater, in 2015-16 and was an assistant coach at Benedictine in 2013-14. 
 
Rodriguez started his coaching career at the University of Central Florida in 2012-13 as an assistant video coordinator, helping the Knights to a 20-win season. 
 
Rodriguez played collegiately at VCU from 2007-11 helping lead the program to the Final Four in 2011 after starting the tournament in the NCAA First Four. He averaged 10.4 points and 3.2 rebounds in 2011, including 9.0 points and 7.7 assists in the Rams' five NCAA Tournament wins. 
 
Rodriguez helped VCU to four postseason berths throughout his career, including a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2011 and wrapped up his career ranking third in program history in both assists (580) and steals (287), and ranked 21^st in points (1,362). 
 
After his time at VCU, Rodriguez spent time playing professionally in Puerto Rico and Turkey.
 
Rodriguez graduated from VCU in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. 

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