Pedro Arruza
Head Coach
(Wheaton College [IL], 1995)
Email Coach Arruza
(804) 752-7363
Pedro Arruza was named the head football coach at Randolph-Macon College in March 2004. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, since 1999. During that time, Arruza served as defensive coordinator and strength and conditioning coordinator for three seasons. He was also secondary coach and recruiting coordinator all five years.
At Washington, Arruza led a defensive unit that was consistently ranked among the best in NCAA Division III, finishing first nationally in total defense in 1999 and third in 2000. The Bears won four conference championships in five years and made an NCAA playoff appearance in 1999. In 2003 Arruza received the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III Assistant Coach of the Year award, which honors assistant coaches who excel in community service, commitment to the student-athlete, on-field coaching success and AFCA involvement.
Prior to his position at Washington, Arruza was an assistant coach at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana from 1998 to 1999. Before that, he served as an assistant at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tennessee from 1996 to 1998. He coached the secondary in both of those positions, and also coached running backs at Battle Ground Academy.
A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Arruza is a 1995 graduate of Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. There, he was a four-year starter at running back, earned Division III All-American honors twice, was named first-team all-conference three times, and was also a three-year GTE Academic All-American, including first team honors in 1994 and 1995. Arruza is Wheaton's career leader in rushing yards and all-purpose yards, is third in career scoring and also graduated as the record-holder for single-season rushing yards. He was a team captain in 1995, leading the Thunder to the NCAA Division III quarterfinals, and received his team's James Parmalee Award for Most Respected Player. As a senior, Arruza was the recipient of a $5,000 NCAA postgraduate scholarship.
Off the field, Arruza taught physical education at Washington, and was an English teacher at Battle Ground Academy. He received his bachelor's degree in English from Wheaton in 1995, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Arruza went on to receive his master's degree in English from Butler University in 1999. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Arruza and his wife, Kara, have three children: a son, Owen, who is 5 years old, and a daughter, Ella, who is 3 years old and a son, Will who was born in February of 2007.