Rock Valley College Athletics

Darin Monroe is in his tenth season as the head softball coach at Rock Valley College.

Monroe has led the Golden Eagles to unprecedented success including winning six straight NJCAA DIII National Championships - the first NJCAA softball program to accomplish this feat. In eight seasons, Monroe boasts a 388-78 (.832) overall record which also includes seven consecutive N4C conference championships.

On the softball diamond, Monroe has coached 20 Rock Valley student-athletes to 29 NFCA All-America honors, 36 players to 46 All-Region IV honors, coached 36 RVC athletes to 48 All-N4C honors, including six N4C MVPs (Vivi Marquez, Amanda Blankenship, Olivia Fluehr and Breanna Crown). Vivi Marquez was named the NFCA National Catcher of the Year in 2013 and 2015, Hannah Long won the award in 2017 and Cara Alexander in 2019.  Marquez was awarded the NJCAA National Player of the Year in 2015, Olivia Fluehr in 2017 and Madason Shaw in 2018.  He has coached the last six National Pitcher of the Year recipients with Amanda Blankenship in 2014, and Morgan Adolph was the first ever to win it in back-to-back years in 2015 and 2016, Kelsie Packard in 2017 and Breanna Crown in 2018 and 2019. 

In the classroom, Monroe has tutored 37 NFCA Academic All-Americans in seven years.  His teams have been recognized by both the NFCA and NJCAA for their Academic Achievement for having a team GPA above 3.0 for the 2012-2013, 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years.

Monroe and his staff have been awarded the NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.  Monroe has been awarded the N4C Coach of the Year in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, and Region IV Coach of the Year in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.  He has won the National Championship Coach of the Tournament in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019

Monroe grew up in Ossian, Iowa, where he was a four-sport athlete in cross-country, wrestling, track, and baseball at South Winneshiek High School in Calmar, Iowa. He was a state participant in track and cross country, and a two-time district qualifier in wrestling. In baseball, he was an all-conference catcher, and was named his team's Most Valuable Defensive Player in his junior and senior seasons.

Monroe went on to play college baseball for Luther College, a NCAA Division III College in Decorah, Iowa. While at Luther, he also became heavily involved in coaching as he was an assistant varsity baseball and softball coach, assistant varsity wrestling coach, and junior high football coach at his alma mater.

After college, Monroe accepted a position to become an assistant softball coach at Southwestern Community College, a Division II junior college in Creston, Iowa. While at Southwestern, he helped his team set a school record for wins in a season (24) and helped recruit the team's largest recruiting class in school history (18), which was headlined by five all-state players.

Monroe holds Bachelor's Degrees in Management and Physical Education from Luther College (IA), as well as a Master's Degree in Organizational Management with an emphasis in Sport Management from Chadron State College (NE). He is also a member of the National Fast-pitch Coaches Association. He lives in Rockford with his wife Amanda, daughter Grace and son Jamisen.

Darin Monroe Coaching Record at Rock Valley College