Hall of Fame
Jim Monken enjoyed a successful football coaching career at both the high school and collegiate level that spanned more than four decades. After compiling 177 wins over a 32-year high school career, Jim returned to his alma mater, bringing his unique coaching style to the McKendree sidelines and helped make the Bearcats’ kicking game one of the top units in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
A 1960 graduate of McKendree, Jim played baseball for the Bearcats before embarking on his football coaching journey. He began as a football and track assistant coach at East Saint Louis Assumption High School for seven years, Jim was elevated into the football head coaching role in 1967. He spent the next quarter-century coaching two programs in East Saint Louis (Assumption High School and Lincoln High School), amassing an overall record of 177-67-7 during that span.
In his 25 years as a high school head coach, Jim’s teams averaged better than seven wins per season and made 15 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state playoff appearances. Four of Jim’s teams reached the IHSA state semifinals under his leadership. He was also a four-time Coach of the Year recipient (1975, 1980, 1985 and 1987).
After leaving the high school ranks in 1992, Jim spent a little more than a decade away from the sidelines until accepting an invitation to join Carl Poelker’s coaching staff at McKendree in 2003. Jim took on the task of coaching the McKendree kickers and punters. Despite losing the ability to speak due to a stroke, Jim was able to communicate through other means to get the most out of his pupils. He was instrumental in the development of kickers Stephen Webb and Jordan Fark as well punters Bret Dougherty and Jordan Spurlock, who rank among program leaders in their respective disciplines.
During his time on the McKendree coaching staff, Jim helped the Bearcats to 68 victories along with five conference titles and five NAIA Football Championship Series appearances.
