SOLEDAD — Longtime assistant and former head coach Eric Rodriguez of Soledad has been named as the new head football coach for the Soledad High Aztecs.
Rodriguez, a 1998 graduate of King City High School, has coached football at Soledad since the school opened, serving as an assistant to Ron Militano. Rodriguez also served as an assistant for other Aztec head coaches, including Jim Lockwood and Frank Berlanga.
Rodriguez was the Soledad head football coach in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. In the 2018-19 season, he led the Aztecs to the Division IV quarterfinals.
Rodriguez was the defensive coordinator for last year’s Aztec team that was led by Marc Villanueva. The Aztecs won the Cypress Division in 2022, finishing with a 9-1 record.
Villanueva resigned after the football season for personal issues.
“This season will be challenging as we are going to have a very young team and will be moving players up to play varsity,” Rodriguez said. “That just means we have to work hard in the weight room. We’ll only have six or seven returning varsity players, but we will return our starting quarterback DJ Valenzuela.”
Rodriguez has Raul Chavez, Daniel Valenzuela Jr. and Ivan Ruiz ready to serve as assistant coaches. He will be looking for an offensive coordinator for the upcoming season.
Soledad High Athletic Director Nick Twitchell feels Rodriguez is a good fit for the Aztec football program.
“He’s well know here in Soledad,” Twitchell said. “He has many relationships that will help connect our football program to the community.”
