Joel Weiss became the Glendale College Women's Basketball Coach in June of 2016 and just completed his ninth season. Weiss has helped guide the Vaqueros to the best record (182-49) in school history with the Vaqueros winning six consecutive Western State Conference Championships from 2019 through 2025, while also reaching the State Championship during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, and the SoCal Regional Finals three additional times.  Weiss was named the 2018-19 Glendale City Council Ace Character and Ethics Coach of the Year, in addition to being named Western State Coach of the Year six times (2019, 2020, 2022, 2023. 2024, 2025).  Weiss also earned CCWBCA Southern California Coach of the Year recognition during the 2019-20 and 2023-24 seasons.

 

This past season (2024-25), the Vaqueros finished the season 26-5,  had five players make the CCCWBCA Academic All State Team, and made their second consecutive Final Four appearance.  During the 2023-24 season the Vaqueros finished the season with a 30-3 record setting the school record for wins, including a 14-0 record during Western State Conference play, and made the State Championship Final.  In the 2022-23 season, the Vaqueros finished the season 24-6, won the WSC Conference Championship, and had six players make the CCCWBCA Academic All State Team.  During the 2019-20 season the Vaqueros finished the season with a 27-3 record while setting the school records for consecutive wins (21), and captured the WSC Championship.  During the 2018-19 season the Vaqueros finished the season with a 22-6 record, won the Western State Conference, and received the Glendale City Council Mayor’s Commendation. 

Before returning to California, Weiss spent nine seasons coaching Division I and Division II NCAA Basketball. Weiss coached at the University of Texas RGV for four seasons from 2009-2013. During that time, Weiss was involved in all aspects of the basketball program, culminating in a sixteen win season and a second place finish in the Great West Conference.

Weiss spent his previous two seasons at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. In Weiss’ second season with the Colonels, he helped guide the team to a 20-11 record, including a second place finish in the Southland Athletic Conference. Prior to accepting the position at Nicholls State, Weiss served as an assistant coach with NCAA Division II Saint Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, helping to direct the Hilltoppers to a 24-6 overall record in 2006-07. The Hilltoppers finished that season with a 10-2 conference record, a Heartland Conference Championship, and a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament.

While in Austin, Weiss was also the Director of Operations for Hoop Zone and coached the 17 & Under Hoop Zone AAU team for two years.  Additionally, he served as an assistant to the communications director for the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League, the affiliate of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs. In that role, he prepared game notes for NBA scouts, compiled statistics for player evaluations, and wrote game stories. Before moving to Texas, the California native worked with two California high schools, serving as the head coach of Claremont High School’s fall program and also coached at Newbury Park High School.

A two sport high school and college athlete, Weiss played one season of football at Lehigh University before transferring to Claremont McKenna College where he was a two year member of the football team and a three year member of the basketball team. Weiss graduated with bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Government from Claremont McKenna College. Weiss also earned a Master of Arts in Education from Nicholls State University.  In 2010, Weiss earned a Master of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Texas RGV.