Baseball

The Monlux Coaching File

Duane Monlux completed his 13th season as the head baseball coach at Bellevue University in 2023 and has compiled an overall record at BU of 540-199-3 (.730). The Bruins have averaged a 44-16 record in his 12 (full) seasons at the helm. Monlux has an overall career record of 772-366-5 (.678) in 22 seasons as a head coach. Bellevue has won more games over the past 13 seasons than any other college baseball team in the state of Nebraska.

In his first 13 seasons at BU, he has led the Bruins to four Avista-NAIA World Series berths (3rd place in 2016; 5th place in 2019, 7th place in 2022, 9th place in 2023), 12-straight NAIA National Championship Opening Round appearances, eight regular-season conference titles, and seven conference tournament championships. The 2017 club was his first and one of just eight NAIA programs to earn the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award; since then, BU has won four more ABCA Team Academic Excellence Awards, doing so in each of the last four seasons: 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Over the last four seasons, Bellevue is one of just five programs to reach the Avista NAIA World Series at least three times (Southeastern, Lewis-Clark State, Georgia Gwinnett, and Faulkner) and one of just four - along with Southeastern, Georgia Gwinnett, and Faulkner - to win their Opening Round Bracket three times in order to qualify.

The 2023 season saw Monlux's charges reach the Avista NAIA World Series for the third time in four seasons, compiling a 48-10 overall record and a 25-3 record in league play. For the second straight season, Bellevue won both the NSAA's regular-season and tournament crowns. Bellevue picked up five Top 25 victories during the regular season, including a road win at No. 1 and defending National Champion Southeastern back on Mar. 11. Monlux collected his 500th win at BU against No. 8 St. Thomas on Mar. 6 to kick off a stretch in which BU went 41-4 leading into the World Series. In the post-season, Bellevue swept their way through the NSAA Tournament and Opening Round, clobbering Oklahoma City 13-3 in the Championship Game to book their ticket to Lewiston. Kanta Kobayashi and Dustin Schorie were each selected as Honorable Mention NAIA All-Americans, Nick Grade won the ABCA/Rawlings-NAIA Gold Glove at third base, and Monlux was named ABCA/ATEC Regional Coach of the Year. Additionally, Kobayashi was named NSAA Player of the Year, Logan Grant took home Newcomer of the Year honors, and Monlux was recognized as the league's Coach of the Year.

Monlux guided the Bruins to their third Avista NAIA World Series Appearance during his tenure in 2022 on the strength of a 49-13 overall record and 25-2 conference mark while winning both the NSAA Regular-Season and Tournament championships. The Bruins rode dominant starting pitching through the NSAA Tournament, getting complete games from all four starting pitchers and out-scoring their opposition 38-2. Riding the momentum created in the conference tournament, Bellevue won the Opening Round Bellevue Bracket, defeating Judson and Tabor to open the competition. On Championship Thursday, BU dropped the first title game to Concordia (Neb.) but rebounded with a 5-2 win over CUNE to clinch the program's 15th World Series Appearance. Bellevue played three tight games at the World Series before being eliminated by No. 2 overall seed Tennessee Wesleyan, 3-2. Three Bruins earned All-America honors, and two more collected National Gold Glove Awards.

The Bruins posted a 41-18 record during the 2021 campaign, going 15-5 in NSAA play to capture their second-straight regular-season NSAA title. In the conference tournament, Bellevue reached the Championship Game for the fourth time in five seasons but, after battling through three straight elimination games, ran out of gas as they fell to Mayville State. Despite falling short in the league tournament, BU earned their 10th straight trip to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round. After intending to host the entire event at Don Roddy Field, weather forced six of the nine games to be moved to the artificially turfed Brown Park. There, Bellevue cruised through the winner's bracket with wins over Saint Xavier, Science & Arts, and Concordia to reach the Championship Round before, ultimately, falling to Concordia in the "If Necessary" game. The 2021 season also saw Monlux coach his 1,000th career game, a 16-5 win over Viterbo. For the second straight season and third time overall, Bellevue was again the recipient of the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award.

In a season cut short by the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak, Monlux led the Bruins to a 9-11 record before the NAIA announced the cancellation of all 2020 spring sports on Monday, Mar. 16. The team earned its second ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award.

Following a 7-13 start to the 2019 campaign, Bellevue caught fire as they won 41 of their final 44 games, including rattling off a 26-game win streak that included wins in their first seven postseason games. Their strong play over the latter portion of the season enabled the Bruins to cruise to the NSAA Regular Season title as they swept Waldorf in the final four-game series of the season to finish 5.0 games ahead of the second-place Warriors, sweeping through both the NSAA Tournament, and NAIA Opening Round - Shreveport Bracket, and into the World Series for the second time in four seasons.

Bellevue notched their second-straight 50-win season in 2017, posting an overall record of 51-11. The Bruins claimed the NSAA regular-season title with a 23-1 conference mark and reached the semi-finals of the league tournament. The regular-season title earned Bellevue a seventh-straight NAIA Opening Round bid, which they hosted at Don Roddy Field. Bellevue posted a 2-2 mark in the tournament, falling to USAO in the championship round. BU maintained a top-10 national ranking throughout the entire regular season and finished the year ranked No. 11, the highest of any team that did not appear in the Avista-NAIA World Series. The 2017 season also marked the first time a BU team was recognized with the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award - one of just eight NAIA programs to earn the distinction on the season.

The 2016 season saw the Bruins return to the biggest national stage, with Coach Monlux directing Bellevue to their first World Series appearance in eight seasons. Bellevue came within a game of the National Championship Game once reaching their World Series and were the only team to defeat eventual champion Lewis-Clark State. The Bruins recorded a 54-12 record on the year - their third-most wins in program history - and posted a 20-3 mark in conference play. Under Monlux's guidance, Bellevue won their NSAA regular-season and tournament championship in their debut season in the league before going on to claim their first Opening Round title in comeback fashion, battling out of the loser's bracket to oust Davenport. BU was a perfect 7-0 in extra-inning games, 50-0 in games allowing five or fewer runs, and did not lose back-to-back games at any point during the campaign. Following the conclusion of the season, Monlux was tabbed the ABCA NAIA Regional Coach of the Year.

He led the Bruins to a 46-15 overall record and an 18-6 tally in league play with a No. 16 final national ranking in 2015. BU finished just a game out of first behind MCAC co-Champions Oklahoma Wesleyan University and York College during the regular season but claimed a victory over Oklahoma Wesleyan to claim the final MCAC Tournament Championship. Bellevue posted a 12-10 record against teams that were either ranked or receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches' Poll. The team hosted the 2015 NAIA Opening Round, reaching the final game before succumbing just one game shy of the Avista-NAIA World Series.

Monlux guided the Bruins to a 40-17-2 overall record and an 18-6 mark in the MCAC with a No. 14 final national ranking in 2014. BU finished runner-up to third-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan University in the conference regular season and tournament. The Bruins defeated seven NAIA top 25 teams, including top-ranked Oklahoma Baptist University, in the NAIA Opening Round. The team finished as runner-up at the 2014 NAIA Opening Round, missing the NAIA World Series by one game.

In 2013, Bellevue was ranked as high sixth in the NAIA and finished with an overall record of 45-10-1 en route to its second-straight conference regular season title with a 21-3 mark. The Bruins owned the second-highest winning percentage in the NAIA (.812) during the 2013 campaign.

Monlux serves as the NSAA baseball rater. In addition, he sits on the NAIA National Selection Committee, which is tasked with selecting the qualifiers for the NAIA Opening Round Tournaments, a position he has held twice, from 2015-17 and 2022-present. Monlux was an officer of the NAIA-BCA (Baseball Coaches Association) from 2019-23, serving as president of the NAIA Baseball Coaches for the 2022-23 school year. He has had 37 players sign professional contracts. He has had five players drafted in the MLB Draft. John Timmins (San Francisco Giants) and Leland Tilley (St. Louis Cardinals) were both selected in the 32nd round of the 2016 draft. Stephan Meyer was drafted in the 18th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015. Three Bruins signed with MLB clubs at the conclusion of the 2014 season. Brennan Henry (drafted in the 17th round by the Kansas City Royals), Kyle Kinman (drafted in the 25th round by the Atlanta Braves), and Galli Cribbs (signed a free agent deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks).

Prior to Bellevue, Monlux spent nine seasons as the head coach at Dickinson State University, where he compiled a 232-167-2 (.581) overall record and led the Blue Hawks to three Dakota Athletic Conference regular season and three DAC tournament titles.

His DSU squad claimed the 2009 DAC regular season championship, and the Blue Hawks also earned back-to-back DAC regular season titles in 2006-2007. He also guided the Blue Hawks to the DAC Tournament titles three-straight seasons from 2006-2008. For his efforts, Monlux was named the ABCA NAIA Region III and DAC Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2007. He was also named DAC Coach of the Year in 2009. The 2007 squad set a DSU single-season record for winning percentage (.756) and wins (34).

Monlux led the Blue Hawks to their only five NAIA Region III tournament berths in school history (2008, 2007, 2006, 2004, and 2003). The 2007 squad became the third team in school history to win at least 30 games when DSU finished 34-11. The 2007 and 2003 teams both finished second at the NAIA Region III Tournament. The Blue Hawks were ranked No. 18 in the final 2007 national poll and as high as No. 20 during the 2008 campaign.

Monlux participated in football, baseball, and basketball while attending Dickinson State. He was named the DSU Male Athlete of the Year for the 1997-98 school year. He was twice named to the NDCAC all-conference baseball team. In addition, he was a three-time first-team all-conference football player and a two-time NAIA football All-American. In 1995, he led the nation in kickoff return average (33.7 yards per return). He ranks second in DSU football history for career touchdowns (43) and career points scored (262). He is the only player in school history to have over 1,000 yards rushing, passing, and receiving in his career.

Monlux played professional football in the National Indoor Football League for four seasons as a wide receiver. He played two seasons for the Wyoming Cavalry and two seasons for the Bismarck Roughriders. He was named the NIFL Wide Receiver of the Year in 2001.

A 2009 Dickinson State Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Monlux also served as an assistant football coach and an assistant professor in the HPER department at DSU. Monlux was inducted into the Wyoming American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019 and to the Gillette Roughriders American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016.

A native of Gillette, Wyo., Monlux and his wife, Roxi (a third-grade teacher at Wake Robin Elementary), have two children, Easton (16) and Emree (14). 

Updated July 7, 2023