NORTON, Mass. – Mary-Frances Monroe has been named Head Coach for the Women's Soccer program at Wheaton College (Mass.), it was announced today by Gavin Viano, Associate Vice President for Athletics & Strategic Programs.
Monroe becomes the 12th head coach in program history.
"Wheaton is excited to welcome Mary-Frances Monroe as the next head coach of our women's soccer program," explained Viano. "Throughout her career as a player, head coach, scout and administrator, Mary-Frances has built and sustained an exceptional level of expertise within the sport of soccer." Viano continued, "Throughout our national search process, it became clear that Mary-Frances possesses the ideal combination of passion, competitive excellence and tactical knowledge to lead our program with confidence, empathy and accountability. We're excited to get to work and to begin building upon the past success of the College's storied women's soccer program."
"I am extremely excited to be the next head women's soccer coach at Wheaton College," said Monroe. "I want to thank Gavin Viano, Lisa Yenush, the coaches and the search committee for the tremendous opportunity. Through the interview process it was clear how special the coaches and players felt about being a part of Wheaton College Athletics. I am excited to get started!"
The former United States National Team member served as the Commissioner and Director of Operations for the Development Player League over the past three years. Prior to that, she made a name for herself within the college coaching arena for 12 seasons.
Monroe took over a program at University at Albany that was ranked near the bottom of all of NCAA Division I. In just her first season, she directed the Great Danes to more victories than the previous three seasons combined and more conference wins in America East than the prior five combined campaigns. The New York native was pivotal in the program's development and its ascension within the Division I ranks. Monroe guided Albany to its first-ever America East Conference Tournament appearance in 2008 and led the Great Danes to four straight postseason tournament berths, while earning a spot in the America East Championship game in 2011. Her recruiting prowess was evident in the Capital region with seven All-Conference performers, four All-Region honorees and a pair of America East Rookie of the Year recipients. Her hard work was rewarded following the 2009 season when she was named the America East Coach of the Year. She left Albany ranking second on the school's all-time list in coaching victories, before taking the next step in her coaching career.
For the next five seasons, Monroe directed the University of Miami women's soccer squad through a very challenging Atlantic Coast Conference slate. In her fourth campaign, following three solid recruiting classes, including the 17th-ranked group in the nation in 2016, Monroe led the Hurricanes to a 10-8-1 overall record. The season culminated with Miami's first appearance in the ACC Tournament in a number of years as the seventh seed. During her stay in Miami, Monroe coached a number of players who went on to sign professional contracts as well as the keeper for the Colombian National Team from the 2015 World Cup.
Monroe was a part of Florida Atlantic University staff that oversaw an Owls team, which posted a 12-8-1 mark, including 8-1-1 in league play to capture the Conference USA regular season crown. The FAU staff helped buttress the program that received Coach of the Year honors that season.
Following a season as the Head Coach for Pinecrest Premier, Monroe continued her involvement with the US Youth Girls National Team, while taking over the reins as the Commissioner of the Development Player League that has expanded from 30 clubs to over 100 in the spirit of growing the game of soccer in the US.
To say that the former midfielder's playing career is impressive would be a massive understatement. Monroe was a four-time National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-America selection, while being named a finalist for the MAC Herman Award three times to recognize the top women's soccer player in NCAA Division I. She burst onto the scene as a first year with the University of Connecticut in 1998 with a school-record 65 points and 24 goals, which still stand today, and was named the National Freshman of the Year by Soccer America, while being tabbed the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year. In just three seasons with the Huskies, Monroe tallied 117 (45-27) points and currently ranks seventh on the program's all-time scoring list. While in Storrs, Conn., she helped lead UConn to three straight Elite Eight appearances in the NCAA National Tournament. Monroe concluded her collegiate career with No. 2 University of California Los Angeles and was named an All-American for the fourth time, while helping the Bruins reach the NCAA Championship Tournament Quarterfinals. She ended her collegiate tenure with 145 points (57-31).
In addition to starring on the collegiate pitch, Monroe was also a member of the US National Team and earned nine caps playing in international competition. Following her stint with the National Team, Monroe was the 13th overall selection in the Women's United Soccer Association draft by the Philadelphia Charge in 2002. She also played for the Boston Breakers at nearby Nickerson Field in Boston, leading them to the league title in 2003, and again in 2009 when the Breakers reemerged as a member of the Women's Professional Soccer League. Monroe's professional journey led to time playing in Sweden as well.
Monroe graduated from UCLA with a degree in Sociology in 2003. She currently resides in Cohasset, Mass.
