Arkansas Tech University will host a press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 18, to formally introduce Raymond Monica as its new head football coach. The event will take place at 1 p.m. Tuesday in Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center room 300. The public is invited to attend. Monica was chosen and announced as the 16th head football coach in Arkansas Tech history on Thursday. He succeeds Steve Mullins, who resigned as head coach on Nov. 15 and remained with Arkansas Tech as its director of athletics. A native of Garyville, La., Monica was head football coach at NCAA Division II member Kutztown University (Pa.) from 2006-2012. He led the Golden Bears to a cumulative overall record of 45-34, two NCAA Division II Playoffs appearances (2010 and 2011) and their first Pennsylvania State Athletics Conference championship (2011). Prior to his appointment at Kutztown, Monica served as an assistant coach at the University of North Alabama and Temple University. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in health, physical education and recreation from the University of North Alabama in 1990. Monica and his wife, Linda, are parents of Ray (17), Lindsey (14) and Austin (6). Arkansas Tech will play its 99th season of intercollegiate football in 2013. The Wonder Boys have an all-time record of 531-351-41 (.598), and Tech is one of 10 NCAA Division II football programs with 530 or more all-time wins. The Wonder Boys became the first football program in Arkansas to earn three NCAA Division II Playoffs berths (1999, 2004 and 2009), to host an NCAA Division II Playoffs game (2004) and to win an NCAA Division II Playoffs game (2004). Arkansas Tech was 5-6 overall and 3-5 in the Great American Conference during the 2012 season.]]>
