University of Minnesota Athletics
Football
Monroe, Nick
Nick Monroe
- Title:
- Cornerbacks / Co-Defensive Coordinator
Nick Monroe joined the University of Minnesota football staff in January 2023 as cornerbacks coach and co-defensive coordinator.
In 2023, Monroe coached newcomer Tre'Von Jones and Justin Walley. Jones, who transferred to Minnesota from Elon, finished tied for second on the team with 53 tackles (44 solo), had two interceptions and broke up a team-leading eight passes. Walley also broke up a team-leading eight passes, made one interception and had 45 tackles (39 solo) as he was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten.
A dynamic personality who has recruited and developed NFL talent, Monroe returned to his home state after seven seasons at Syracuse. He joined the Orange staff in 2016 and served as Syracuse's secondary coach for two seasons before narrowing his focus to the team's safeties and nickelbacks in 2018 and safeties and rovers in 2020, before taking on the role of defensive passing game coordinator and safeties and rovers coach prior to the 2022 season.
A native of Mahtomedi, Minn., and a graduate of St Cloud State, Monroe is known for his elite recruiting ability. He recruited and developed Andre Cisco (Jacksonville Jaguars), Trill Williams (Miami Dolphins) and Ifeatu Melifonwu (Detroit Lions) to Syracuse and all three defensive backs were selected in the 2021 NFL Draft and signed rookie contracts with the aforementioned teams.
Monroe helped lead a Syracuse pass defense that thrived on creating turnovers. The Orange intercepted 58 passes in 60 games (0.97 per game) from 2018-22, which included a streak of 17 straight games with a pick from Aug. 31, 2018 to Sept. 21, 2019. The streak tied for the third-longest in major college football since 2004.
Monroe, whose father Marty was a GA for the Gophers under Jim Wacker in 1994-95, was elevated to defensive passing game coordinator in the winter prior to the 2022 season, oversaw one of the best passing defenses in recent history for the Orange. Syracuse finished 14th in the nation and second in the ACC, surrendering just 184.8 yards per game through the air in 2022. As a whole, the defense finished 21st nationally in total defense, allowing 328.6 yards per game. After defensive coordinator Tony White left to pursue another coaching opportunity, Monroe took over play calling duties for the Orange in the 2022 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl against Minnesota.
The 2022 campaign was the second-straight season that the defense allowed under 330 yards per contest. The group excelled in 2021 as well, as the Orange put together their best total defense season in a decade, before being bested a year later, finishing second in the ACC and 19th nationally after allowing just 330 yards per game.
In his first year coaching safeties and rovers in a 3-3-5 defense, Monroe took a group that lost a pair of NFL defensive backs due to injury early in the season in 2020, turning to start three freshmen at the three spots. Ja'Had Carter became a Freshman All-American under his watch, finishing the year with 67 tackles and two interceptions. Rob Hanna also notched more than 50 tackles in his first season of college football.
In 2018, Syracuse's defensive backfield was fifth nationally in interceptions (18). His unit was directly responsible for 11 picks, including an FBS-leading seven by freshman Cisco. The takeaways contributed to a 111-46 advantage in points off turnovers, as the Orange went 10-3 and won the 2018 Camping World Bowl. Cisco was voted the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and became the first true freshman in program history to earn All-America honors.
Cisco continued to flourish as a sophomore in 2019. He led the conference for the second year in row with five interceptions and ranked fourth nationally in interceptions per game (0.6). Cisco also tied for third in the ACC in passes defended per game (1.11) on his way to All-ACC Second Team honors. As a team, the Orange ranked fifth nationally in passes defended per game at 5.67 per contest.
In addition to his mentorship of Cisco, Monroe worked with Evan Foster from 2016-19. A three-year starter at strong safety, Foster concluded his career ninth among Syracuse defensive backs with 234 career tackles.
An injury to Cisco ended his 2020 season after two games but Monroe's protege was selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft by Jacksonville.
Prior to Syracuse, Monroe served as the secondary coach at Bowling Green from 2010-15. He consistently produced units that ranked among the nation's best and helped the Falcons to four straight bowl games and two MAC titles. Monroe's guidance also helped turn Jude Adjei-Barimah into an NFL contributor. A defensive back for Bowling Green from 2011-14, Adjei-Barimah played 23 games (eight starts) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2015-16.
Monroe inherited an inexperienced unit at Bowling Green that featured four new starters. In two seasons, he molded them into one of the stingiest defensive backfields in the country. Featuring All-MAC performers BooBoo Gates and Cameron Truss, the 2012 Falcons ranked 13th nationally in passing defense (190.1 ypg) to help lift the team to an 8-5 record and an appearance in the Military Bowl.
The following season, the Bowling Green secondary was even better. The Falcons finished sixth in the FBS against the pass (170.9 ypg) and Gates earned All-MAC First Team honors for the second year in a row. As a team, Bowling Green won its first conference championship since 1992 and played Pittsburgh in the 2013 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.
In 2014, Monroe successfully oversaw the maturation of safety Brian Sutton and the development of two young cornerbacks. Sutton's production skyrocketed from the previous season as he jumped from 43 to 102 tackles. In addition, rookie cornerbacks Nick Johnson and Clint Stephens combined for nine interceptions. The unit also featured Adjei-Barimah, who recorded 82 tackles. The Falcons won the MAC East title and defeated South Alabama in the inaugural Raycom Media Camellia Bowl.
In 2015, Bowling Green posted a 10-4 record, won the MAC championship for the second time in three seasons, and earned a berth in the GoDaddy Bowl. Monroe's defensive backfield finished eighth in the FBS with 20 interceptions, including a team-high six picks by cornerback Alfonso Mack.
Monroe coached defense for six years at Colgate University. He instructed the outside linebackers from 2004-05 and then shifted to secondary coach in 2006. In 2009, he was promoted to co-defensive coordinator and helped implement a scheme that led the Patriot League and was 29th nationally in total defense (308.2 ypg) that year. Colgate was 9-2 and held seven of its opponents to 20 points or less. Monroe also served as the team's recruiting coordinator for five seasons.
In his last three years with the Raiders, Monroe mentored four first-team All-Patriot League selection and one second-team honoree. In addition, defensive back Demitri Diamond was named the 2009 Patriot League Rookie of the Year.
Colgate won a pair of Patriot League titles (2005, 2008) while Monroe was on staff and made two Division I-AA (now FCS) playoff appearances.
Monroe was the secondary coach in 2002 and 2003 at Allegheny College. He helped the Gators capture the 2003 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championship and earn a berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Monroe was a four-year letterwinner at cornerback for St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. He earned his undergraduate degree in marketing from the school in 2001.
Nick and his wife, Nicole, have a son, Wyatt.
MONROE AT A GLANCE
Coaching Experience
2023: Minnesota – Cornerbacks / Co-Defensive Coordinator
2022: Syracuse – Defensive Passing Game Coordinator / Safeties / Rovers
2020-21: Syracuse – Safeties / Rovers
2018-19: Syracuse – Safeties / Nickelbacks
2016-17: Syracuse – Secondary
2010-15: Bowling Green – Secondary
2009: Colgate – Co-Defensive Coordinator / Secondary / Recruiting Coordinator
2006-08: Colgate – Secondary / Recruiting Coordinator
2005: Colgate – Outside Linebackers / Recruiting Coordinator
2004: Colgate – Outside Linebackers
2002-03: Allegheny College – Secondary
Bowls Coached
2023 Quick Lane Bowl (Minnesota)
2022 Pinstripe Bowl (Syracuse)
2018 Camping World Bowl (Syracuse)
2015 GoDaddy Bowl (Bowling Green)
2014 Camellia Bowl (Bowling Green)
2013 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (Bowling Green)
2012 Military Bowl (Bowling Green)
Playing Experience: St. Cloud State (defensive back), 1997-01
Birthday: May 25, 1979
Hometown: Mahtomedi, Minn.
High School: Mahtomedi High School, 1997
Alma Mater: St. Cloud State, 2001 (marketing)
Wife: Nicole
Son: Wyatt
In 2023, Monroe coached newcomer Tre'Von Jones and Justin Walley. Jones, who transferred to Minnesota from Elon, finished tied for second on the team with 53 tackles (44 solo), had two interceptions and broke up a team-leading eight passes. Walley also broke up a team-leading eight passes, made one interception and had 45 tackles (39 solo) as he was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten.
A dynamic personality who has recruited and developed NFL talent, Monroe returned to his home state after seven seasons at Syracuse. He joined the Orange staff in 2016 and served as Syracuse's secondary coach for two seasons before narrowing his focus to the team's safeties and nickelbacks in 2018 and safeties and rovers in 2020, before taking on the role of defensive passing game coordinator and safeties and rovers coach prior to the 2022 season.
A native of Mahtomedi, Minn., and a graduate of St Cloud State, Monroe is known for his elite recruiting ability. He recruited and developed Andre Cisco (Jacksonville Jaguars), Trill Williams (Miami Dolphins) and Ifeatu Melifonwu (Detroit Lions) to Syracuse and all three defensive backs were selected in the 2021 NFL Draft and signed rookie contracts with the aforementioned teams.
Monroe helped lead a Syracuse pass defense that thrived on creating turnovers. The Orange intercepted 58 passes in 60 games (0.97 per game) from 2018-22, which included a streak of 17 straight games with a pick from Aug. 31, 2018 to Sept. 21, 2019. The streak tied for the third-longest in major college football since 2004.
Monroe, whose father Marty was a GA for the Gophers under Jim Wacker in 1994-95, was elevated to defensive passing game coordinator in the winter prior to the 2022 season, oversaw one of the best passing defenses in recent history for the Orange. Syracuse finished 14th in the nation and second in the ACC, surrendering just 184.8 yards per game through the air in 2022. As a whole, the defense finished 21st nationally in total defense, allowing 328.6 yards per game. After defensive coordinator Tony White left to pursue another coaching opportunity, Monroe took over play calling duties for the Orange in the 2022 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl against Minnesota.
The 2022 campaign was the second-straight season that the defense allowed under 330 yards per contest. The group excelled in 2021 as well, as the Orange put together their best total defense season in a decade, before being bested a year later, finishing second in the ACC and 19th nationally after allowing just 330 yards per game.
In his first year coaching safeties and rovers in a 3-3-5 defense, Monroe took a group that lost a pair of NFL defensive backs due to injury early in the season in 2020, turning to start three freshmen at the three spots. Ja'Had Carter became a Freshman All-American under his watch, finishing the year with 67 tackles and two interceptions. Rob Hanna also notched more than 50 tackles in his first season of college football.
In 2018, Syracuse's defensive backfield was fifth nationally in interceptions (18). His unit was directly responsible for 11 picks, including an FBS-leading seven by freshman Cisco. The takeaways contributed to a 111-46 advantage in points off turnovers, as the Orange went 10-3 and won the 2018 Camping World Bowl. Cisco was voted the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and became the first true freshman in program history to earn All-America honors.
Cisco continued to flourish as a sophomore in 2019. He led the conference for the second year in row with five interceptions and ranked fourth nationally in interceptions per game (0.6). Cisco also tied for third in the ACC in passes defended per game (1.11) on his way to All-ACC Second Team honors. As a team, the Orange ranked fifth nationally in passes defended per game at 5.67 per contest.
In addition to his mentorship of Cisco, Monroe worked with Evan Foster from 2016-19. A three-year starter at strong safety, Foster concluded his career ninth among Syracuse defensive backs with 234 career tackles.
An injury to Cisco ended his 2020 season after two games but Monroe's protege was selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft by Jacksonville.
Prior to Syracuse, Monroe served as the secondary coach at Bowling Green from 2010-15. He consistently produced units that ranked among the nation's best and helped the Falcons to four straight bowl games and two MAC titles. Monroe's guidance also helped turn Jude Adjei-Barimah into an NFL contributor. A defensive back for Bowling Green from 2011-14, Adjei-Barimah played 23 games (eight starts) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2015-16.
Monroe inherited an inexperienced unit at Bowling Green that featured four new starters. In two seasons, he molded them into one of the stingiest defensive backfields in the country. Featuring All-MAC performers BooBoo Gates and Cameron Truss, the 2012 Falcons ranked 13th nationally in passing defense (190.1 ypg) to help lift the team to an 8-5 record and an appearance in the Military Bowl.
The following season, the Bowling Green secondary was even better. The Falcons finished sixth in the FBS against the pass (170.9 ypg) and Gates earned All-MAC First Team honors for the second year in a row. As a team, Bowling Green won its first conference championship since 1992 and played Pittsburgh in the 2013 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.
In 2014, Monroe successfully oversaw the maturation of safety Brian Sutton and the development of two young cornerbacks. Sutton's production skyrocketed from the previous season as he jumped from 43 to 102 tackles. In addition, rookie cornerbacks Nick Johnson and Clint Stephens combined for nine interceptions. The unit also featured Adjei-Barimah, who recorded 82 tackles. The Falcons won the MAC East title and defeated South Alabama in the inaugural Raycom Media Camellia Bowl.
In 2015, Bowling Green posted a 10-4 record, won the MAC championship for the second time in three seasons, and earned a berth in the GoDaddy Bowl. Monroe's defensive backfield finished eighth in the FBS with 20 interceptions, including a team-high six picks by cornerback Alfonso Mack.
Monroe coached defense for six years at Colgate University. He instructed the outside linebackers from 2004-05 and then shifted to secondary coach in 2006. In 2009, he was promoted to co-defensive coordinator and helped implement a scheme that led the Patriot League and was 29th nationally in total defense (308.2 ypg) that year. Colgate was 9-2 and held seven of its opponents to 20 points or less. Monroe also served as the team's recruiting coordinator for five seasons.
In his last three years with the Raiders, Monroe mentored four first-team All-Patriot League selection and one second-team honoree. In addition, defensive back Demitri Diamond was named the 2009 Patriot League Rookie of the Year.
Colgate won a pair of Patriot League titles (2005, 2008) while Monroe was on staff and made two Division I-AA (now FCS) playoff appearances.
Monroe was the secondary coach in 2002 and 2003 at Allegheny College. He helped the Gators capture the 2003 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championship and earn a berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Monroe was a four-year letterwinner at cornerback for St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. He earned his undergraduate degree in marketing from the school in 2001.
Nick and his wife, Nicole, have a son, Wyatt.
MONROE AT A GLANCE
Coaching Experience
2023: Minnesota – Cornerbacks / Co-Defensive Coordinator
2022: Syracuse – Defensive Passing Game Coordinator / Safeties / Rovers
2020-21: Syracuse – Safeties / Rovers
2018-19: Syracuse – Safeties / Nickelbacks
2016-17: Syracuse – Secondary
2010-15: Bowling Green – Secondary
2009: Colgate – Co-Defensive Coordinator / Secondary / Recruiting Coordinator
2006-08: Colgate – Secondary / Recruiting Coordinator
2005: Colgate – Outside Linebackers / Recruiting Coordinator
2004: Colgate – Outside Linebackers
2002-03: Allegheny College – Secondary
Bowls Coached
2023 Quick Lane Bowl (Minnesota)
2022 Pinstripe Bowl (Syracuse)
2018 Camping World Bowl (Syracuse)
2015 GoDaddy Bowl (Bowling Green)
2014 Camellia Bowl (Bowling Green)
2013 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (Bowling Green)
2012 Military Bowl (Bowling Green)
Playing Experience: St. Cloud State (defensive back), 1997-01
Birthday: May 25, 1979
Hometown: Mahtomedi, Minn.
High School: Mahtomedi High School, 1997
Alma Mater: St. Cloud State, 2001 (marketing)
Wife: Nicole
Son: Wyatt
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