Women's Soccer Head Coach Margaret Rodriguez '99
The UConn women's soccer program begins their seventh season under the direction of Margaret Rodriguez this fall. A 1999 UConn grad, Rodriguez was named the just the third head coach in program history in 2018 after a great playing career for the Huskies and a decade as one of the team's assistant coaches.
A star on the pitch for the Huskies from 1995-98, she is tied for fourth on the all-time Husky scoring list with 128 points. Her 43 goals and 42 assists make her one of only four UConn alumni to be a part of the elite NCAA "40-40" Club. Her 42 assists ranks fourth in program history in assists, while ranking 10th all-time in goals scored. She played in 99 games and made 91 starts during her illustrious Husky career, both ranking 5th in program history. During her time in Storrs, her teams recorded a gaudy 85-12- 4 overall record.
Rodriguez led her team to three NCAA quarterfinals and one NCAA final appearance in 1997. After graduating with a Kinesiology/Fitness Management Degree from Connecticut, she went on to play professional soccer for three years in the WUSA.
She began her coaching career at the University of Hartford for four seasons before returning home to Storrs as an assistant coach. During her time on staff, the Huskies won 114 games, made five NCAA tournament appearances and won a pair of American Athletic Conference regular season (2015, 2016) and tournament championships (2014, 2016).
Before kicking-off the 2023 campaign, Coach Rodriguez took some time to reflect on her time at UConn as a player and a coach.
You played for the Huskies from 1995 through 1998, what was the biggest factor in your decision to come to Storrs to play your college soccer?
My biggest factor was distance from home. That was number one. Our parents gave us a three-hour radius, so it was kind of perfect. When I step foot on campus, and I took a lot of visits prior with UConn being my last visit. When I stepped foot on campus, within five minutes I looked at my sister and I said this is where we are going. It just felt like home to me and felt like everything I wanted. I still don't know what that gut feeling was but that's what my decision was!
You helped lead the Huskies to four NCAA tournament appearances including an appearance in the title game in 1997. What do you remember most about that season's post season run?
The biggest thing that first stands out was we were in the BIG EAST Tournament, and it was at Rutgers that year. We got crushed by Notre Dame in the BIG EAST final, I think the score was 6-1. Typically, you would think we were deflated and that would hurt us in postseason play but it kind of catapulted us. We went in NCAA's right after that and met Notre Dame in the semifinal that year and we ended up winning 2-1. That was almost like our final, getting that win. The other thing that stands out, was I was chosen to get drug tested after the game and I couldn't go! The team had to wait about two hours after that game. But that game stood out because it was such as comeback from the last time we met.
Post UConn, you were drafted into WUSA professional soccer league and played three seasons. What if any comparisons do you see from your professional experience to how the game has grown in 2024? And can you draw on that experience when recruiting or coaching the current players?
I think playing at the highest level, it shows that I was committed and dedicated and had what it took to get to the next level. I know what it was like to be in that environment. I think that's relatable to this player, this day and age, because there is a pro league that is consistent and a lot of players coming into our environment aspire to play professionally at the next level. So, to have three coaches on our staff that all played at the professional level, it speaks volumes to who we are not only as players, but its relatable. The game hasn't changed tremendously from when I played pro to now, it's just much different players now. It's instrumental to our recruiting piece.
What are the biggest changes you have seen in college women's soccer since you began your career?
College women's soccer now is so much different in the landscape. Dealing with NIL and the transfer portal, that was never a thing. I think in my four-year career, we had one player transfer into the program. It just didn't happen; you didn't really have that avenue. You were loyal, you gutted it out. If you didn't like what the coach was telling you, you just worked harder to earn it. Nowadays, student-athletes have a lot more options. That's probably the biggest different. In the game not much has really changed but the players have more knowledge in front of them, more information being fed to them and at a younger age. Film and video and things like regenerations days. We never had any of that. And its to the benefit of the athlete today. There is more information surrounding them then there was when I played.
If you could go back and talk your former self as a freshman getting ready to start school, what would you tell them about UConn in 2024?
The advice I would give myself, and I still give it to our freshmen today, is to enjoy the moment that you're in. I think you get so caught up with 'oh my gosh, I had a bad practice, oh my gosh, I didn't play well.' You get so focused on that. I would give anything to go back to that era of my life. You're living with your best friends on campus, taking classes, everything is surrounding you right there. You have everything at your fingertips to just enjoy the moment that you're in. The stresses that I felt then are so insignificant to the ones now as a parent and a coach. Enjoy the moment you are in. Don't stress about the little things. You are playing with your best friends and make the most of it.