SAN ANGELO – Angelo State men's basketball head coach
Vinay Patel announces adding Cole Rabedeaux to his staff as an assistant coach.
"I am excited to announce the addition of Cole Rabedeaux to our staff for the upcoming year," said Patel. "Cole comes highly recommended to us, and there is no doubt that he will be a huge asset to our program. He is known for his relentless work ethic and the energy he brings daily."
The Poulsbo, Washington, native joins the Ram Fam from Division II school Winona State, where he served as an assistant coach for the past season.
"The standard set in this program by Coach V has generated not just success on the floor but has led to the development of some amazing student-athletes that triumph in the classroom and the community," said Rabedeaux. "Over the past couple of weeks, I have met some amazing people in the San Angelo community, and one thing has become evident: this program means a lot to this city. The support we receive isn't commonly found at most programs in the country. I couldn't be more grateful to Coach V and Angelo State Administration for allowing me to help this program move forward."
At Winona, Rabedeaux helped the Warriors to a 21-10 overall record and a 14-8 record in a competitive Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Warriors made it to the NSIC Tournament Semifinals as the sixth seed and narrowly missed out on an NCAA Tournament berth.
"One of the things that stood out in our conversations was the care he has for student-athletes," said Patel. "Coach Rabedeaux has been a part of successful programs and understands the standard we hold our players to."
Rabedeaux helped Warriors guard Connor Dillon be named to the All-NSIC First Team and earn CSC Academic All-American honors. He also helped the Warriors earn the 2023-24 NABC Team Excellence Award and saw seven players named to the NABC Honor Court.
Rabedeaux's coaching career started as a graduate assistant and assistant video coordinator at the University of Houston under legendary head coach Kelvin Sampson. Rabedeaux led on-court player development sessions with student-athletes and helped lead all on-campus recruiting efforts for the Cougars.
In Rabedeaux's time in Houston, the Cougars won two AAC Conference Championships and went deep in the postseason, making it to the Sweet 16 and the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars were ranked in the top 20 for the entire 2021-22 season and were a top-five team in the nation for the 2022-23 season, including holding the number one ranking for seven weeks.
As a player, Rabedeaux was a three-year letter winner at Division III institution University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He was a two-time all-conference and all-region performer for the Blugolds and holds the school record for most three-pointers made in a single game (11). As a senior in 2019-20, he helped the Blugolds to win their first NCAA Tournament game in 20 years.
Rabedeaux graduated from Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a Bachelor's degree in Business Management and graduated from Houston with a master's degree in Sports and Fitness Administration.
"I am incredibly excited to join the Angelo State University basketball program and work alongside Coach Patel," said Rabedeaux. "My experiences at the University of Houston and Winona State University have prepared me for this new challenge, and I look forward to contributing to the continued success of Ram Basketball. I'm eager to work with this talented group of student-athletes and help them achieve their full potential on and off the court."
"We are very fortunate to be able to add someone of Coach Rabedeaux's caliber this late. The season is approaching, and our expectations will remain high," said Patel. "Cole has done an incredible job jumping in and getting to work. We welcome him and his wife Rebekah to San Angelo."
