Darin Monroe Headshot

Darin Monroe

Darin Monroe is a highly decorated athletic administrator and championship-winning coach entering his 15th season as the Head Softball Coach and 8th year as the Athletic Director at Rock Valley College.  

Athletic Administration & National Leadership
As Athletic Director, Monroe has elevated RVC's athletic department to national prominence, earning the prestigious 2023 NACDA Athletic Director of the Year award. His leadership extends across the national collegiate landscape through several high-profile governance roles:

  • NJCAA Board of Regents: Serves as the Region 4 Representative.
  • NJCAA Sports Governance Committee: Serves as the committee Chair.
  • NJCAA National Committees: Former member of the D2 Volleyball, D3 Women's Basketball, and D3 Softball committees.
  • NJCAA Coaches Association: Served as National President from 2018–2022.
  • National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA): Served on the Board of Directors (2018–2022) as well as the All-American, Awards, and Events committees.

Championship Softball Legacy
On the softball diamond, Monroe has engineered one of the most dominant dynasties in junior college history. He has guided the Golden Eagles to an unprecedented eight consecutive NJCAA DIII National Championships (2014–2022), making RVC the first softball program in NJCAA history to achieve this feat. Over 14 seasons, Monroe has compiled an extraordinary 669-137 (.830) overall record.
In recognition of his historic success, Monroe was inducted into three distinct sports halls of fame in 2023:
  • NJCAA Softball Coaches Hall of Fame (2023)
  • Region 4 Hall of Fame (2023)
  • Rock Valley College Athletic Hall of Fame (2023)

Player Development & Academic Excellence
Monroe’s program is defined by a culture of elite player development and academic accountability:
  • All-Americans & All-Region Selections: Coached 49 NFCA/NJCAA All-Americans and 91 All-Region honorees.
  • National Players & Catchers of the Year: Mentored four NJCAA National Players of the Year (Vivi Marquez, Olivia Fluehr, Madason Shaw, Kelli Riordan) and five NFCA National Catchers of the Year.
  • Dominant Pitching: Developed seven National Pitcher of the Year recipients, including Morgan Adolph, the first back-to-back winner in history (2015–2016).
  • Academic Honors: Tutored 142 NFCA Academic All-Americans, with the program maintaining a team GPA above 3.0 for 14 consecutive years.


Coaching Honors & Background
Monroe and his assistants have been recognized as the NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year seven times (2014–2019, 2021) and the Midwest Coaching Staff of the Year in 2023. He is also a multi-time recipient of the N4C Coach of the Year, a 12-time Region 4 Coach of the Year, and an 8-time National Championship Coach of the Tournament.
Monroe earned Bachelor's Degrees in Management and Physical Education from Luther College (IA) and a Master's Degree in Organizational Management with an emphasis in Sport Management from Chadron State College (NE). He resides in Rockford with his wife, Amanda, their daughter, Grace, and their sons, Jamisen and Case.. 

Darin Monroe Coaching Record at Rock Valley College

Year W L PCT. Post Season
2026 58 5 0.921 NJCAA DII 7th Place
2025 46 9 0.836 NJCAA DII 12th Place. 
2024   34 15 0.694 Region 4 Champions, NJCAA DII 7th Place
2023 44 12 0.786 Region IV Champions
2022 48 11 0.814 Region 4 Champions, N4C Champions, NJCAA DIII National Champions
2021 51 7 0.879 Region 4 Champions, N4C Champions, NJCAA DIII National Champions
2020 17 3 0.850 Season canceled due to COVID-19 Pandemic
2019 57 13 0.814 Region 4 Champions, N4C Champions, NJCAA DIII National Champions
2018 52 9 0.852 Region 4 Champions, N4C Champions, NJCAA DIII National Champions
2017 57 2 0.966 Region 4 Champions, N4C Champions, NJCAA DIII National Champions
2016 49 9 0.845 Region 4 Champions, N4C Champions, NJCAA DIII National Champions
2015 52 5 0.912 Region 4 Champions, N4C Champions, NJCAA DIII National Champions
2014 42 9 0.824 Region 4 Champions, N4C Champions, NJCAA DIII National Champions
2013 32 12 0.727 Region 4 Champions, N4C Champions, NJCAA DIII National Tournament 6th place
2012 30 16 0.652 Region IV Runner Up
Totals 669 137 0.830