The Johns Hopkins Department of Athletics debuted its Faculty-Coach initiative during the 2025-26 academic year. The program is designed to engage faculty members and create meaningful relationships and community between academic affairs and athletics by serving in a mentoring and supportive role of JHU's scholar-athletes.
 
Faculty Coaches will serve as honorary members of the coaching staff and act as an additional support person for scholar-athletes on the team.  They are available to answer academic questions and help direct scholar-athletes, particularly first year students, to the many resources available to all Johns Hopkins students.
 
The initial two-year commitment, which comes with an option to extend, provides the faculty member the opportunity to attend as many games and practices as their schedule allows, to watch games from the sideline/bench area, and to attend team-specific events, including end-of-year banquets and awards ceremonies.
 
Throughout the 2026-27 academic year, HopkinsSports.com will utilize a Q&A format to allow fans to learn more about a team's designated Faculty-Coach.  Today, we introduce Rudy Ruiz, the Faculty-Coach for the Blue Jay Wrestling Team.

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Name: Rudy Ruiz, EdD
 
Faculty-Coach Team: Wrestling
 
Alma Mater: Stanford University
 
Position/Title at Johns Hopkins: Adjunct Professor & National Advisory Council Member, School of Education
 
Year at Johns Hopkins: 12th
 
Tell us a little about your own athletic background: Three-time Wisconsin High School State Champion; two-time NCAA Qualifier, Pac-10 runner-up and an Academic All-American at Stanford; NCAA & Pac-10 Post-Grad Scholar; University Nationals Bronze Medalist (Greco-Roman wrestling); Former Head Coach, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (NCWA)
 
What is your favorite sport: Wrestling
 
How did you become involved in the Johns Hopkins Athletics Faculty-Coach program: Invited by Head Coach Keith Norris after collaborating through my previous role as Board Chair for Beat the Streets - Baltimore
 
While the program is still in its infancy, tell us about your experience working with your team thus far: Great to see and cheer the team in action after discussing wrestling and the academic-career connection in the weeks prior
 
What has most surprised you, if anything, about working with and meeting the coaching staff and athletes on your team: Everyone humbly balances a fascinating mix of academic, athletic, and personal passions and pursuits
 
As the faculty-coach for the team, what is your goal or what do you hope to accomplish: Helping scholar-athletes see new opportunities and make meaningful academic-career connections
 
Either since you assumed this role or before that time, what is your most memorable Johns Hopkins Athletics experience: Cheering the team matside, as JHU hosted two teams before the conference tournament
 
What would you tell faculty members who are not involved about this program: This is a great forum for connecting with and supporting some of the most dynamic leaders of their generation.
 
Tell us something about yourself that not many people are aware of or that you think people would find interesting: After starting my career as a teacher in my neighborhood public high school 25 years ago, I brought my JHU doctoral research to life through my venture Edifying Teachers, which now supports educators across the country through a mentorship model and app I created.