Kansas Wesleyan University

Anthony Monson is the 29th coach in the history of the Men’s Basketball program. 

2023-24 was yet another extremely successful season for the Coyotes under the direction of Anthony Monson. The Coyotes finished 23-9 overall and posted an 18-4 record in the KCAC, earning the No. 2 seed in the KCAC Tournament. KWU won playoff games over Ottawa, and No. 9 ranked Southwestern to reach the KCAC Championship at Hartman Arena for the first time since the championship game moved to the neutral site format in program history. KWU enjoyed several marquee wins on the season, including a pair of regular season wins over Southwestern when the Moundbuilders were ranked in the NAIA Top 10 both times, as well as wins over Bellevue (Neb.), Morningside (Iowa) and William Woods (Mo.). Kansas Wesleyan became the fi rst KCAC institution to host and play a NAIA National Championship game on its home floor when the Coyotes faced LSU-Shreveport in front of a packed Mabee Arena. Monson led the Coyotes to the program’s third consecutive NAIA National Championship appearance, a first within the KWU program, who had only two NAIA National Championship appearances before Monson’s arrival. KWU had four All-KCAC honorees in 2023-24 highlighted by fi rst-team selections Jun Murdock and Alex Littlejohn along with honorable-mention picks Izaiah Hale and Thurbil Bile. KWU also prides itself on a strong academic program as nine Coyotes were named as Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes and 13 earned Academic All-KCAC honors. Jun Murdock became the men’s basketball program’s fi rst-ever College Sports Communicators Academic All-America selection earning second-team honors for the exclusive academic honor.

2022-23 improved on the strong 2022 season in a myriad of ways. The Coyotes won 26 games, the most for the program since winning 28 in 2007, the last time the program captured a KCAC Championship. KWU also set a new school record for conference wins in a season with 19. Coach Monson picked up his 100th career win in KWU's first game of the season, a victory over Bellevue University in October. Monson also passed KWU legendary coaches Ken Cochran (111) and Alexander Brown Mackie (112) in total victories to sit No. 2 all-time trailing only Hall of Fame coach Jerry Jones who has 224 wins. Monson led the team to the NAIA Opening Round for the second straight year as Wesleyan reached the NAIA Second Round. Monson was selected as the KCAC Coach of the Year by a vote of conference coaches, and Alex Littlejohn was named as a NAIA Third Team All-American. KWU had 12 KCAC Scholar-Athletes and eight Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes. 
 

2021-22 was another outstanding year for Coach Monson's Coyotes. KWU finished 23-11 overall and 15-9 in the KCAC. KWU reached as high as No. 19 in the NAIA Top 25 after opening the season 12-1. During the season, Monson passed Hall of Fame coach Gene Johnson to move into fourth place on the all-times wins list at KWU during the season, and is one win away from becoming just the fourth KWU coach all-time to win 100 basketball games at the conclusion of the 2022 season. The Coyotes also received an at-large berth into the NAIA National Championship field, the team's first since 2007, and defeated Indiana South Bend in the first round of the tournament. Three players were named All-KCAC, headlined by Jun Murdock as a first-team selection. Veteran AJ Range was named to the second-team and freshman Alex Littlejohn was named to the honorable mention team, and was part of the All-KCAC All-Freshman team. Murdock was also named as KWU's first NAIA All-American since 2013, earning Honorable Menion honors. Nine Coyotes were named Academic All-KCAC and eight earned Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors. Monson was named one of the Most Impactful Coaches in the NAIA by Silver Waves Media. 

In 2020-21, Monson led the Coyotes to a 12-14 overall record and a 9-11 KCAC record, in a season affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, where several games were postponed and canceled throughout the season. KWU did pick up a win in the first round of the KCAC Tournament, beating Avila, before falling to No. 22 ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan. AJ Range was named Second Team All-KCAC, and Easton Hunter was named to the Honorable Mention team, and was a All-Freshman team selection. 

In 2019-20, Monson led the Coyotes to an 18-12 overall record and a 15-9 KCAC record. The Coyotes won 15 conference games for a second straight season, and ended up as the No. 4 seed in the KCAC Tournament, hosting a quarterfinal for the third straight season. Three Coyotes were named to the All-KCAC teams led by AJ Range on the Second Team. KWU also had eight Academic All-KCAC honorees and six Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes. 

In 2018-19, Monson led the Coyotes to a 17-12 overall record and a 15-9 mark in the KCAC. The 15 wins in the conference were the most for a KWU men's team since the 2006-07 season. Wesleyan hosted a conference tournament game, marking the first time since 2009 and 2010 that KWU has hosted conference tournament games in back-to-back seasons. Wesleyan picked up a win over Tabor in Hillsboro for the first time since 2010 in a 72-59 win on January 3 and later upset No. 20 ranked Friends 72-67 on February 2. James Brooks was named as the KCAC Newcomer of the Year and was one of three All-KCAC players for the Coyotes. Two were named Academic All-KCAC during the season. 

The Coyotes hang their hat on defense. KWU finished the season ranked No. 2 in the NAIA in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.298), seventh in defensive scoring average (68.6), No. 13 in steals (8.2), No. 21 in defensive field goal percentage (.424), and steals (238), No. 23 in turnover margin (1.655), No. 26 in rebound defense (33.7) and No. 38 in rebounding margin (+3.0).

In 2017-18, Monson led the Coyotes to the program's first over .500 season since 2008-09 with a 16-13 overall finish and a 14-8 finish in the KCAC. The Coyotes finished third in the KCAC and hosted the team's first KCAC playoff appearance since 2009-10. The 14 conference wins by the team were the most since the KCAC Championship run in the 2006-07 season. Terell Gandy (Third Team) and Jamon Fulton (Honorable Mention) were named All-KCAC and Darius Hammond earned a spot on the All-KCAC All-Freshman squad. KWU ranked second in the KCAC and No. 14 in the NAIA in scoring defense (71.5) and ranked second in the conference and No. 20 in the NAIA in blocks per game (3.45). Nick Murray was named Academic All-KCAC and Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete.

The Coyotes hang their hat on defense. KWU ranked No. 14 in the NAIA in scoring defense (71.5), No. 20 in blocks (3.5), No. 25 in 3-point defense (.336), No. 28 in total blocks (100), No. 40 in turnover margin (1.138), and No. 42 in rebound defense (34.9).

In 2016-17, his first season with the Coyotes, KWU was 13-17 overall and 9-13 in the KCAC, winning the most games in a season since KWU went 19-12 in 2008-09 and the nine conference wins is the most for the Coyotes since going 9-9 in 2009-10. Wesleyan also broke long losing streaks to conference opponents Southwestern, Ottawa and Friends. Ryan Hill was named Honorable Mention All-KCAC, and the Coyotes had three Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athletes and five Academic All-KCAC selections.

Before coming to Kansas Wesleyan, Monson was the lead assistant coach at Tabor for nine seasons and involved with the Tabor program as an assistant coach for 11 seasons. During that time the Bluejays have posted the best win-loss record in the conference. The last three seasons, Tabor has made appearances in the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championships while winning back-to-back KCAC Regular Season Championships and winning the KCAC Tournament this past season.

“We are a team that hangs our hat on defense first and foremost,” Monson said. “We play a team style of basketball, there will be no individuals. We are a team where everyone plays their role and every night you don’t know who will step up for us. We play up-tempo basketball and are a team that is well coached with solid fundamentals that doesn’t beat itself.”

Monson, a native of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, played two seasons at Central Lakes College in Brainerd, Minnesota, earning All-North Division and MCAC All-State honors in 2002-03. He then played two seasons at Tabor earning All-KCAC honors in 2004 and was a team captain in 2005. He moved into a student assistant coach position in 2005-06, before joining the staff as a full-time assistant for the 2006-07 season.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education, Recreation Health and Teaching from Tabor and a Master of Science degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation from Emporia State University. He has three daughters Kaydence, Collyns and Kyleigh and one son, Crew.