LA VERNE, Calif. — William "Willo" Rodriguez, formerly a co-head coach at Division I powerhouse Pepperdine, has been named men's and women's water polo head coach at the University of La Verne. The announcement was made on Friday by La Verne athletics director Julie Kline.

"We are thrilled to have Coach Rodriguez as a part of Leopard Athletics," Kline said. "He brings a wealth of knowledge to our program, having coached and played at the highest levels. Willo is committed to excellence, both in the classroom and in the pool. He will be an exceptional leader and role model for our student-athletes."

Rodriguez's appointment is effective immediately. He replaces Alex La, who resigned following six years as the Leopards' head coach.

"I would like to thank Julie Kline for this incredible opportunity and look forward to working with the staff and student-athletes at La Verne," Rodriguez said. "I can't wait to get to work on building on a tradition of success La Verne water polo has had. It is my goal to take the programs to new heights and be a consistent championship contender in the SCIAC and on the national scene."

Rodriguez spent the past two seasons at Pepperdine where he served as the Director of Operations in addition to his coaching duties. He previously served as Pepperdine's assistant coach in 2006 and 2007.

As the interim co-head coach of the Waves in 2012, Rodriguez helped Pepperdine to an 11-13 overall record and the team achieved a national ranking as high as No. 4 during the regular season.

During his first stint as an assistant coach at Pepperdine, Rodriguez helped the Waves to an overall record of 40-27 and a pair of national top-10 rankings.

Before he returned to Pepperdine in 2012, Rodriguez served as an assistant men's and women's water polo coach at USC from 2010-12 during which the Trojans claimed two national championships.

Prior to USC, Rodriguez spent the 2009-10 season as the assistant women's water polo coach at Rio Hondo College.

During his two-season playing career at Pepperdine in 2001 and 2002, Rodriguez was known as one of the team's top drivers and helped the Waves compile a 30-16 overall record. The 2002 campaign saw the Waves post a 16-10 overall record and a first-place finish in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation with a 7-1 mark. The Waves ended that year with a No. 3 national ranking.

Prior to his two seasons at Pepperdine, Rodriguez led West Valley College, located in Saratoga, Calif., to consecutive state championships while earning All-American honors.

A standout performer both before and after his collegiate career, Rodriguez earned a spot on the 1995 Puerto Rican Junior National team. In 2003, he competed with the Puerto Rican National Team at the Olympic Qualifying tournament held in Rio do Janeiro, Brazil.

Some of his numerous stops in the international water polo circuit included Spain, Croatia, Cuba, Brazil and Greece. Rodriguez graduated from Pepperdine in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in international studies and earned a master's degree from Azusa Pacific in physical education in 2010. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational organizational leadership from Pepperdine.