Maya Monroe is stepping out of her father’s illustrious basketball shadow, and is making a name for herself in the world of New York collegiate sports.
Monroe, the daughter of New York Knicks legend Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, was named the new assistant coach for the York College women’s basketball team.
Coming from Manhattan-based Seward Park High School, Monroe coached the women’s team for four years and went 45-5 in her time leading the team – also bringing them to a divisional and regular season championship.
“I’m very excited to be with York and the women’s basketball team,” Monroe said. “It’s a great feeling to come back to New York…where my dad is such a legend.”
Monroe said her father let her pursue basketball on her own and, while he couldn’t attend many games during her college career, he will try and watch his daughter grow as a coach for the York College team.
“My dad is excited for me and is certainly going to make it to many of my games here at York,” exclaimed Monroe.
She graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in international affairs and was a member of the Yellow Jackets women’s basketball team from 2001-2004.
“Playing in a premier basketball conference is any player’s dream,” Monroe said. “I played along side plenty of great basketball players and wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Along with coaching these young women, Monroe is also the co-founder of the Hoop Fundamentals/Earl Monroe Skills Academy, a community program that specializes in the development of individual fundamental basketball skills for boys and girls from grades 4-12.
She currently serves as the physical education director of the Madison Square Garden Boys and Girls Club, where she is responsible for the development of the health and physical education programs.
The energized assistant coach believes she has much to offer these girls at York, and hopes she can be a basketball and life mentor to them. Monroe wants to convey the fundamentals of the sport and bring the game back to the basics.
“Maya will be a superb role model for these kids and I knew who she was before we even thought about getting her in here,” said Ronald St. John, Athletics Director at York. “She wants to get recognized by her own merits.”
