Coach Evans Roderick; Helping one student athlete at a time

He has lived in seven different countries. He has been married for 26 years. He is the father of three, grandfather of three and mentor to thousands.

“Life is not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” Coach Evans Roderick, 64 said. He has been working at Mt. SAC for 35 years. In August 1975 he was hired as the assistant track and field and football coach. In 1984 he became a counselor to athletes, which was the first position of its kind in the California two-year college system. In 1986 he started the 3C4A (Community College Counselor/Advisors Academic Association for Athletics), which was created to enhance the quality of education for the student athletes. Roderick has been the president of the 3C4A since its infancy.

“He has left a great legacy, a huge mentor, and basically a really good person who cares about student athletes,” said Shane Poulter, age 42, coordinator/athletic counselor for Mt. SAC. Poulter, took over Roderick position in 2006.

“If you’re not doing it someone else is,” said Roderick who is a firm believer that you are the creator of your own destiny.  Roderick has been retired since July 1, 2006 and hasn’t missed a beat. He can be seen on the field motivating athletes and calling them “knuckle heads” as Mt. SAC’s assistant football coach.

There are 700 student athletes at Mt. SAC, which boast a 75percent transfer rate. 70 percent of students go out of state. One hundred students a year receive a scholarship, 150 students just go to college and some will fall through the cracks. The thing that makes Mt SAC so special, Roderick said is, “the campus wide support from the president of the college all the way down to the groundskeepers.”

“There is no such thing as a dumb jock,” said Roderick. “They are all smart, but some don’t know they are because they don’t practice being smart.”  The- tell it like it is coach doesn’t hold back punches when talking about the potential of student athletes.  Roderick has dedicated a huge part of his life helping student athlete’s move on to four-year universities, not just to excel in sports, but to excel in life.   So, the WIN program was created (the first of its kind in the California community colleges system). The goal of the WIN program is to provide students an environment in which they can pursue academic success through interaction with tutors, utilization of resources, and staff support. “I’m just trying to put student athletes in a position to win,” said Roderick.

According to Roderick’s daughter, Andrea Chevis, 35, “he is that type of person that you either love him or you don’t like him.” The ever-punctual Coach, enlisted in the military from 1964 to1967 in the height of the Vietnam War. Playing sports in the military kept him out of the war.

“I firmly believe that athletic participation is a great tool to help educate students,” Roderick said. Roderick’s current project and passion is to establish a rule that gives student athletes the opportunity to have a year of academic preparedness. Which means the athlete will be able to be a full time student without their athletic clock starting. This possible NCAA rule will allow for student athletes to excel in their education and to have the opportunity to go to a four university and receive a scholarship and graduate.

Coach Evans Roderick said he believes he is “just someone who has been blessed and lucky.” And when everything is said and done He wants his tombstone to read, “He followed the beat to his own drum.”