Monroe College Announces Elevation of Kevin Pulley Jr. to Head Football Coach

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., December 22, 2021 – Monroe College has announced that Kevin Pulley Jr. has been elevated to head coach of the Monroe College football team, becoming the second head coach in the history of the Mustangs football program. Pulley succeeds Terry Karg, who started the program from scratch and coached the Mustangs for 10 years.

Pulley began his tenure with Monroe College in 2015 when he assumed the role of running backs coach for the football team. After the 2015 season, Pulley took over offensive coordinator responsibilities, and has held that role ever since. In the years since, the Mustangs' offense has proven itself to be one of the best in the NJCAA.

Kevin has been with the Monroe College football program since 2015. During that course of time, he has grown into a very well accomplished professional with an extraordinary level of commitment and dedication to the program. I am extremely excited to name Kevin Pulley as Terry Karg's successor, serving as the next head football coach at Monroe College. Coach Pulley has done a magnificent job as the offensive coordinator for the Mustangs and I feel he is ready to accept a new challenge in his career by assuming the head coach position. I look forward to working with Kevin in the continued success of the football program.

-Luis Melendez, Asst. Vice President - Athletics

Pulley takes over a program that has gradually improved in all regards over the past number of seasons. The Mustangs went 10-0 in the regular season in 2021, the team's first-ever undefeated regular season and first-ever 10-win season. Monroe ranked as high as No. 5 in 2021, the highest NJCAA ranking the program has ever received. The Mustangs also earned an invitation to The Graphic Edge Bowl in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the team's third straight NJCAA bowl-game appearance.

"I'm taking over a program that's in a great place," said Pulley. "It's not often that a 10-win team is changing their head guy. Monroe College football has grown to being a staple in the NJCAA rankings, and it's in large part due to the players' commitment and buy-in. We're prime to take the next step of winning postseason invites and competing for the NJCAA Playoffs."

Pulley continued, "I have had a hand in leading this program to three straight bowl games, so I'm excited to be in a position to lead the team to the next levels of success."

As Coach Karg alluded to in his departure announcement, the Monroe College football team has always seen immense support from the college and athletic administration. Pulley recognized that support and expressed his appreciation for its continuation under his regime.

"President Marc Jerome and [Asst. Vice President – Athletics] Luis Melendez have created a culture at Monroe that breeds success amongst all its athletic programs," said Pulley. "I am thankful that they've given me the opportunity to continue to be part of this community."

Joining Monroe at the same time as Pulley was Coach Johan Williams, who has served as the team's defensive coordinator and associate head coach during his seven years and six seasons with at Monroe. Coach Williams will continue those duties alongside Pulley, building upon what is has already been regarded as one of the NJCAA's top defensive units over the past number of seasons.

"By retaining Coach Johan Williams, we get to keep one of the better defensive minds in the NJCAA," said Pulley. "He is also an excellent leader of young men."

After being hired by Coach Karg in 2015 and then promoted to offensive coordinator in 2016, Pulley was able to lift the Mustangs' offense to new heights. In 2016, the team averaged over 300 yards and 30 points per game for the first time in its history, and also reached the NJCAA National Rankings for the first time.

"I'm grateful that Terry Karg allowed me to join his staff in 2015," said Pulley. "He helped me improve as a coach and prepared me for this opportunity."

The offense reached a record-breaking peak in 2019, as Pulley led a Mustang offense that averaged an NJCAA-best 49.8 points per game. The Mustangs averaged 408 yards of offense per game, including 166.3 rushing yards per game. Monroe scored 39 of its 68 offensive touchdowns on the ground that season.

In 2021, after a one-year hiatus from competition, the Mustangs got right back on track. They finished in the Top-10 in the NJCAA in scoring (422), points per game (38.4), passing touchdowns (26) and rushing touchdowns (24), among other categories. This went hand-in-hand with yet another terrific year for the defensive side of the ball as well.

Monroe finished the 2021 campaign with a 10-1 overall record and ranked No. 6 in the final NJCAA Football Rankings of the regular season. The Mustangs came up just short at The Graphic Edge Ball, falling to No. 10 Iowa Central Community College, 35-27, at the UNI Dome. With three straight seasons culminating in a bowl-game invitation, and three straight seasons finishing the year as an NJCAA nationally ranked program, the future for the Mustangs is as bright as ever, and will see Coach Pulley leading the team into a new era.