Longtime UHV soccer head coach Adrian Rigby stepping down

For the first time since their inception in 2010, University of Houston-Victoria men's and women's soccer will be under new direction.

Longtime head coach Adrian Rigby announced he is resigning at the end of May after 15 years at the helm of both Jaguars soccer programs.

Rigby guided the men's program to seven conference titles and three NAIA tournament appearances, and a combined 19 conference tournament appearances between the two sides.

"When Adrian was hired, he stepped into one of the toughest assignments imaginable — building not one, but two soccer programs from the ground up with limited resources and facilities that were far from ideal," said UHV Director of Athletics Ashley Walyuchow. "What he accomplished here is nothing short of remarkable. I truly can't imagine anyone else doing what he's done, or doing it with more passion, integrity, and heart."

Rigby was tasked with starting the men's program from scratch in March 2010 and was later tabbed to lead the women's program in June of the same year. He guided the men to a 150-73-26 record and the women to a 113-108-18 mark during his decade-and-a-half at the helm.

"It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to establish and lead the UHV men's and women's soccer programs for the last 15 years," Rigby said. "I'm incredibly proud of what we've accomplished together—on the field, in the classroom, and throughout the community.

"To all the current and former UHV Soccer players, thank you for trusting this program with your dreams of playing collegiate soccer. Your passion, resilience, and commitment have been the driving force behind our success. I was fortunate to have a college coach who profoundly shaped the person and professional I am today, and I can only hope I've been that same kind of mentor to each of you."

In addition to his coaching duties, he has also served as UHV's Assistant Athletic Director in which he developed and managed the UHV Jobs After Graduation (JAGs) program aimed at helping student-athletes be workforce-ready upon graduation.

"Adrian has done an exceptional job. He is first and foremost an advocate for his players, always looking out for them and providing guidance and care as needed," said UHV President Dr. Bob Glenn. "It is a rarity to see one person coaching both a men's and a women's team, but not only has he balanced the needs of both groups, he also showed outstanding skills as a coach – demonstrated by the teams' record of winning. We may find someone to take his job, and I suspect we will have to find two people to take his position, but no one will ever take his place. He will be sorely missed."

Rigby's men's team made their breakthrough in 2017, going 11-3-2 overall and sweeping both the Red River Athletic Conference Regular Season and Tournament championships en route to the Jaguars' first-ever appearance in the NAIA Tournament.

Two years later in 2019, the Jaguars started a run of three consecutive RRAC regular season titles in which they went 39-5-5 over the three seasons and made NAIA Tournament appearances in 2019 and 2021. During those three years, UHV only lost one conference game.

He was a four-time winner of the RRAC Coach of the Year honors in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

"No program thrives without a strong foundation of support," Rigby said. "I'm deeply grateful to the assistant coaches and graduate assistants who poured their time, energy, and heart into building a culture of excellence and shared in the vision that guided our teams. I am also grateful to my family - thank you for your unwavering love, patience, and support. Your sacrifices made this journey possible, and I'm forever grateful.

"As I close this chapter, UHV will always hold a special place in my heart. I will forever cherish the memories, the friendships, and the incredible journey we've shared as Jaguars."

Off the field, the UHV women's soccer team has won the United Soccer Coaches' Academic Award six times (2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) while the men earned the award twice in 2016 and 2017.

The Jaguars soccer teams have also been active in the community, giving back annually at Warrior's Weekend, Keep Victoria Beautiful and many other community service initiatives. Players from the UHV soccer teams have also helped out the Victoria Youth Soccer Organization by coaching teams or being at games to cheer on players and help foster a love for the game.

Rigby is also responsible for bringing UHV's lone on-campus facility to life. When he started, he began working to develop The Cage. Since then, it has become a state-of-the-art playing surface, rivaling that of schools at Divisions I and II in the NCAA.

"Adrian's legacy goes far beyond wins and losses," Walyuchow said. "His deep commitment to UHV, to our student-athletes, to the athletic department, and to the youth soccer community in Victoria has touched countless lives. He's been a mentor, a leader, and a role model to hundreds of young people who trusted him with their dreams. His departure leaves a hole that will be hard to fill — not just professionally, but personally. I'll miss him, and so will this department. We are all better for having worked alongside him."

UHV will begin a coaching search promptly.