Nicki Monahan-Keith is the new women’s basketball coach at Indiana University Northwest in Gary.
She’s been assistant coach for the past five years in the rising program.
Her appointment follows the May resignation of Jesse Ford, who stepped down to take the women’s basketball coaching job at Purdue University Northwest in Hammond.
“I have been a part of IU Northwest for 10 years and have been here as a student athlete, student worker, assistant coach, and for the past two months as the interim head coach,” said Monahan-Keith in a release.
“Now, I get to lead the women’s basketball program as the head coach. This is a dream come true for me.”
Monahan-Keith, a 2013 Portage High graduate, spent the last three seasons as Ford’s top assistant, helping guide the women’s basketball program to 60 wins and an NAIA Tournament berth in 2023. IUN also earned a spot in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament the last three seasons, which includes advancing to the conference tournament championship game in 2023.
“The group of players that have stayed through this transition are impressive and are the foundation for what we accomplish this year,” Monahan-Keith said. The team has 11 returning players.
Before joining the coaching ranks, Monahan-Keith spent four seasons as a student-athlete at IUN. She graduated with a degree in biology in 2017 and is a licensed physical therapist.
She’s the program’s second all-time leading scorer and was a three-time NAIA All-American selection. Her number “22” was retired in 2022.
“Nicki’s stats and accolades at IU Northwest make her a legendary player, however her combination of knowledge, experience, connections and her passion for RedHawks women’s basketball ultimately positions her as the best candidate to now lead our program into the future,” said Director of Athletics Ryan Shelton.
A news conference to introduce Monahan-Keith will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday inside the Terry and Karen McMahon Athlete Resource Room on the second floor of the Savannah Center.