About Matt Monroe
Coach Monroe is in his 9th year as the head varsity boys’ basketball coach at Saint Ignatius College Prep and his 23rd year overall as a basketball coach. He has an overall record of 144-99 as head coach. Since 2016, the Wolfpack basketball program has seen a tremendous amount of growth on many levels. During the past eight seasons, the Wolfpack has won two Chicago Catholic League White Division Championships, three IHSA Regional Championships, two IHSA Sectional Championships, and two IHSA Super-Sectional Championships. During the 2021-22 season, they had one of the best seasons in the program’s 100+ year history. They advanced to the IHSA Final Four for the first time in school history, finishing in 3rd Place. During the 2022-23 season, the Wolfpack followed up with another historic season advancing to the IHSA Final Four for the second straight year, finishing in 4th Place. Coach Monroe has been named an IBCA Coach of the Year Award winner in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. More importantly, Coach Monroe and his staff have established a program that is bigger than basketball - one in which the primary goal is to make a lasting, positive impact on the lives of everyone who participates in boys’ basketball.
Before coming to Saint Ignatius, Coach Monroe spent eight years as the head sophomore and lead varsity assistant boys’ basketball coach at Saint Patrick High School in Chicago. While at St. Pat’s, he helped guide the varsity to three IHSA Regional Championships, one IHSA Sectional Championship, and an overall record of 138-83. He also led his sophomore teams to an overall record of 134-61, the 2016 ESCC Conference Championship, and multiple Thanksgiving and Christmas tournament championships. Previously, Coach Monroe spent time as an assistant basketball coach at Niles West High School, Vernon Hills High School, and Deerfield High School. He also coached club basketball for twelve years and was a student-manager under Dave Leitao for the DePaul University men’s basketball team. In addition to his coaching duties, Coach Monroe serves on the Executive Board of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and National High School Basketball Coaches Association.
Coach Monroe is a Social Studies teacher at Saint Ignatius College Prep. He is happily married to his wife, Sarah, who is an elementary school principal.