Mary-Frances Monroe enters her seventh year as head women's soccer coach at the University at Albany. She previously served as an assistant coach for the Great Danes in 2005. Monroe recently took the field as a player once again, playing professionally this past summer with the Boston Breakers of the Women's Professional Soccer League Elite Division.
Monroe guided the UAlbany program to its most successful season at the Division I level last fall, going 9-10-1 overall and advancing to the America East Conference Championship for the first time. The Great Danes won seven straight games going into the league championship, including a 2-1 victory over Hartford in the tournament semifinals. Monroe mentored four all-conference players, including second team honorees Chrissy Klepper and Rebecca Lee.
In 2010, Monroe guided the Great Danes to the America East Conference semifinals. UAlbany finished with a 10-8-2 record last season, the program's highest victory total and first winning season since 1988. The Great Danes won their first America East postseason tournament match and advanced to the semifinal round for the first time. Rebecca Lee, a first-team all-conference midfielder, is among four All-America East performers returning. Shayla Bergeron, a second-team striker, tied the program's Division I single-season record with nine goals. Lee was the first player in program history to be named to the all-conference first team. Midfielder Chelsea DeVerna, goalkeeper Breanna Maggio, and defender Casey Marks were each named to the all-conference second team. Midfielder Katie Dunn garnered a spot on the all-rookie team, while co-captain Chrissy Klepper, a midfielder from River Edge, N.J., was voted to the conference's all-academic squad.
In 2009, Monroe and her assistants were named the America East Conference Co-Coaching Staff of the Year after piloting the program to its winningest campaign in 21 seasons. The Great Danes, who were recognized by Somis Sports as the ninth-most improved team in the nation, earned their first Division I postseason berth and finished with a record of 8-10-1. Ashley Tirabassi broke the school's all-time scoring record, which stood unchallenged for 26 years, and was one of a program-high five players to be named to the all-conference second team by America East. Chelsea DeVerna, Maggie DeVerna and Marks made the all-rookie squad, while Chelsea DeVerna became the second Great Dane in three seasons to be named the America East rookie of the year. UAlbany, which regularly fielded nine or 10 freshmen and sophomores at the same time, also shut out seven opponents and yielded only 24 goals. Both marks set new Division I program standards.
In 2008, the Great Danes stayed in contention for their first bid to the six-team league tournament until the final weekend of the regular season. Furthermore, freshmen Rebecca Lee and Kendra Harrell-Vigil earned spots on the league's all-rookie squad. The 2007 team finished 5-10-3 overall and posted its highest winning percentage since joining Division I in 1999. Teresa Boring became the first Great Dane to be named the America East Conference Rookie of the Year. In 2006, the Great Danes finished with an overall record of 5-13-1. The squad broke single-season records at the time for wins (5), points (64) and assists (16) while matching the school record for goals scored (24).
A four-year college All-American at the University of Connecticut and UCLA, Monroe was a candidate for both the Hermann Trophy and M.A.C. Awards, which are given to the best female collegiate soccer player in the country. During her freshman year, Monroe set UConn's single-season school record with 65 points and finished fourth among national leaders. She was named the Big East Conference Rookie of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors.
In the summer of 2012, Monroe played professional soccer with the Boston Breakers in the WPSL Elite League.
Monroe, who was selected Freshman of the Year by Soccer America, finished her three years at UConn with 117 points, which ranks among the school's all-time leaders. She spent her senior year at UCLA, where she tallied 12 goals and four assists.
Monroe served as the girls' head coach for the Eastern New York North Girls' Olympic Development Program ‘96. She has earned nine caps with the United States Women's National Team. She was also a member of the United States Women's U-21 National Team that won the Nordic Cup in 2000. A staff member for the Region I Girls' Olympic Development Program, Monroe played in the WPS for the Boston Breakers in 2009 and the WPSL for the New England Mutiny in 2008 and 2010. She was crowned the 2008 WPSL East Player of the Year. Her other professional stints include time in the WUSA with the Philadelphia Charge and Boston Breakers as well as KIF Örebro in Sweden.
A native of Northport, N.Y., Monroe was a two-time Scholastic All-American at Northport High School. She scored 85 goals and added 43 assists while leading her team to the New York State championship in 1996.
Monroe has been working extensively with the United States National Team with scouting for all age groups and was named the liaison for the National Training Centers (NTC) for the New England area.
Named liaison U.S. Soccer's National Training Centers for the entire New England area. This includes Western New York, Eastern New York North, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont,, Rhode Island, and Maine. U.S. Soccer Training Centers are single day, invitational training sessions run by U.S. Soccer staff for elite players in key soccer markets. Training Centers are open to the top players from any team, club or organization at no cost to the player. The purpose of the Training Center program is to identify the best players for the U.S. Soccer Youth National Team program.
Monroe holds a USSF "B" Coaching License and is currently serving as the America East representative on the NSCAA Division I National Rankings Committee after previously representing the conference on the NSCAA Division I Regional Rankings Committee.
She also serves as the coach for the Eastern New York Olympic Development Program's Under-15 team and is an assistant coach for the US Youth Soccer Region I Under-14 Girl's Team. Additionally, Monroe has worked with the USA Youth National Under-14 program.
She earned her bachelor's degree in sociology in 2003 from UCLA.
