Jasmin Espinosa BROWNSVILLE – UTRGV Athletics announced the hiring of two new members for the men’s basketball coaching staff.
Brandon Chamber, the men’s basketball head coach, announced the hiring of Joseph Anderson last Tuesday and the hiring of Joey Rodriguez last Thursday.
Both men will join Chamber’s coaching staff as assistant coaches.
According to UTRGV Athletics, Anderson spent last season as the director of player development at North Carolina State.
As a graduate assistant during 2024-2025, Anderson helped the NC State Cowboys to a 28-7 record and a 19-1 record in the southland conference play, helping the team advance to the NCAA tournament.
Rodriguez spent the last eight seasons as an assistant coach at Florida International University.
According to UTRGV Athletics, last season Rodriguez guided Florida International to 15 wins. Chambers has yet to announce further members to his coaching staff.
A lifetime of Plays: Brothers unite on the field.
For a pair of UTRGV football players, they are not only taking the field as teammates but also as brothers tackling challenges together since they were younger.
“So, it’s just helped help to stay close through the years and like those, that one and a half years that he was gone to college like, there’s definitely a difference,” said Jaxon Baize, a redshirt freshman quarterback. “So, it’s super nice being back together and being able to play football together again.”
Jaxon Baize and his older brother Braden Baize, a redshirt sophomore wide receiver, grew up in Boerne, Texas.
Since the age of 3 and 4, the Baize brothers have been teammates, playing a variety of sports including baseball, golf and football.
While they have always shared a close bond, their connection has only grown stronger as they’ve gotten older.
“Growing up, we did everything together super close,” Braden said. “We’ve been best friends since we were young and, [its] fun getting to be back together playing football again.”
Outside the gridiron, Jaxon enjoys playing golf, hunting and fishing, while Braden serves his community by volunteering at homeless and family shelters.
Despite having different hobbies, the duo shares a passion for sports and goals that push them in the same direction, making it easier to give and receive feedback from one another.
“[We] very much have the same work ethic,” Braden said. “[We] always try to be one of the first ones here and last [ones] to leave, and it’s easy to push each other and never, never really get to upset [at] each other. [We] know we can push each other in different ways than maybe we can push others because, it’s not, not as personal and that we can take it.”
Jaxon said he came to the Valley unsure of what it would be like but having his older brother with him on the field made the transition much easier.
“I think the biggest thing for me, coming into college, you know, being away from home for the first time, not [knowing] what that was going to be like and having him there to help me through it, since he had already been there, I think it was the best thing,” Jaxon said.
Braden said he feels the pressure of leading by example knowing Jaxon will follow in his footsteps and that he is representing his family.
“I like to be a good role model for him, and I don’t like messing up,” Braden said. “And, I don’t like letting him down. So, [there’s] definitely a little bit of pressure making sure I’m doing good in everything I do because, I don’t, I don’t want to let him down. And, [I] don’t want to let my parents down either.”
Jaxon said being a Division 1 athlete is a challenge, but with his brother’s guidance, he is able to ask for help.
“He definitely is a role model for me,” Jaxon said. “Looking up to him, he’s been doing this for, this is his third? Third? Yeah, end of his third year now. And so, [I’m] just relying on him for different questions and problems that I might have.”
The Baize brothers will be in action when UTRGV football returns this fall.
