Charles Rodriguez is entering his second season as an assistant coach after being added to the Charlotte men's soccer staff in May 2022.

Rodriguez is a Charlotte men's soccer alum, most known for captaining the Charlotte men's soccer team that advanced to the 2011 College Cup Final and became the first 49er in program history to earn United Soccer Coaches First Team All-America honors.

"We are delighted to welcome Charles back home! He is one of the brightest young coaches in the country, a deep thinker about soccer and someone who possesses a very curious mind," Head Coach Kevin Langan said. "Our players are going to benefit greatly from his coaching expertise."

After his playing days in the Queen City ended, "Chuck"—as he's known by many in the program—has spent the last decade as a collegiate assistant coach.

As an assistant coach Rodriguez has experienced numerous amounts of success at both the team and individual player level. Since 2013, Rodriguez has won two National Championships, appeared in three Elite Eights, earned four conference titles (three Pac-12, one Ivy League) and has coached five different teams to the NCAA Tournament.

On the players side, Rodriguez has coached eight All-Americans, 12 Conference Players of the Year and was a part of the 2017 United Soccer Coaches National Staff of the Year when his squad at Stanford won the 2017 National Championship.

Since joining the 49ers staff, his responsibilities include scouting, developing team tactics, planning the team's daily training and coordinating all team travel.

In his first season as an assistant for the 49ers, he was the primary coach for a 49ers back line that kept five consecutive clean sheets during the early portions of the season and allowed just 16 goals in 15 regular season matches. Rodriguez also helped guide CLT to its best start in program history with wins in each of its first seven contests to begin the year, while also pushing the team to make Head Man Kevin Langan the all-time winningest head coach in program history.

In his most recent tenure at Yale, Rodriguez helped lead the Bulldogs to a school-record 13 victories in 2019, earning the program its first Ivy League Title and NCAA Tournament berth since 2005.

Prior to his time in Connecticut, Rodriguez was an assistant at Stanford under his former collegiate head coach, Jeremy Gunn. During his tenure in Palo Alto, the Cardinal won a pair of National Championships in 2016 and 2017, and Rodriguez coached a back four that went two NCAA Tournament's without conceding a single goal which is still an NCAA Record

During his entire three-year stint at Stanford, the Cardinal posted 42 shutouts in 67 matches under his watch.

"He captained our program to the college cup final as a player, has won two National Championships as a coach, and we look forward to him bringing his winning mindset to our student-athletes," Langan continued.

The Franklin, Tennessee native began his coaching career at Xavier where he spent three seasons. In the final of those three in 2015 the Musketeers experienced one of the most decorated seasons in program history, setting program records for wins (15), shutouts (11) and team goals against average (0.84) and advancing to the NCAA Round of 16 for the first time.

Rodriguez, a 2012 graduate of Charlotte, was also an accomplished player. As a senior at Charlotte in 2011, he was named a Soccer America First Team All-American, was a United Soccer Coaches First Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region selection and became the first defender in Charlotte history to earn United Soccer Coaches First Team All-America honors. He was also named to the 2011 NCAA College Cup All-Tournament Team while captaining the 49ers to the national final for the first time in school history.

The center back guided a Charlotte defense that had nine shutouts, limited 21 foes to a goal or less and only allowed four goals in six NCAA Tournament games in 2011. During Rodriguez’s four years, the 49ers tallied 30 shutouts.

Rodriguez was drafted in the third round of Major League Soccer's 2012 Supplemental Draft by D.C. United. He later moved on to the Wilmington Hammerheads of the USL Pro League. Following the 2012 season, Rodriguez returned to Charlotte to finish his degree in political science and criminal justice.

Rodriguez has a U.S. Soccer National A-Senior Coaching License.