Monmouth University Athletics

King Rice has been on the Monmouth sideline for 13 seasons and leads the Hawks into his 14th in 2024-25. In February 2022, Rice became the winningest Division I Head Coach in Monmouth Basketball history. He has 207 victories to his credit, as well as a trio of MAAC Coach of the Year honors and three MAAC regular season titles. Rice has set Monmouth records for wins in a season with 28 and consecutive victories with 17. Rice also set a MAAC Record in 2016-17 by winning 18 league games for the first time ever. He has  won the John McLendon National Coach of the Year honor, while being named a finalist for the Ben Jobe Award. Rice has beaten nine high-major opponents as the MU head coach. 

The 2023-24 Hawks won 18 times, including a signature victory at Big 12 member West Virginia. Rice's son, Xander, joined the Hawks for his final collegiate season and scored the second most points in a season and fourth most threes in program history. Monmouth won 13 consecutive home games to close out the year, and topped Campbell in the CAA Tournament. Xander Rice was a First Team All-CAA, NABC All-District and All-MET selection, while redshirt freshman Jaret Valencia earned CAA All-Defensive Team and All-Rookie Team. 

Rice led Monmouth into the CAA in 2022-23, the third league he has coached the Hawks in. Freshman Jack Collins became MU's first ever CAA honoree, earning CAA All-Rookie honors after averaging in double figures. MU posted four wins in five games down the stretch of the season, and set a CAA Tournament record with a 36-point win over Hampton in the opening round. 

The 2021-22 Hawks got off to the best start in program history, beginning 10-2 in the first 12 games of the season. Among those 12 wins included signature victories over AAC-member Cincinnati, ACC-foe Pitt and Atlantic 10 opponent Saint Joseph's. Four fifth-year seniors led MU throughout the season under Rice's coaching, with George Papas, Walker Miller and Shavar Reynolds earning spots on All-MAAC teams. Marcus McClary finished his career as the all-time games played leader in school history, while Papas set the program's single-season three-point record, making 103.

In total, 19 players that played under Rice at Monmouth are playing professional basketball or played previously. 

In 14 years in West Long Branch, Rice has now graduated all 44 seniors. Following the 2016-17 year, Monmouth men's basketball was one of 35 programs recognized across the nation in men's hoops for its multiyear Academic Progress Rate (APR) and received the NCAA's APR Public Recognition Award. Monmouth was the only school in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference as well as one of just three teams in the state of New Jersey. Rice's team has now earned this recognition in three straight seasons.

Rice became the third coach in MAAC history in 2021 to be named the league's Coach of the Year for a third time. He also won his third regular season crown in the pandemic-impacted season, navigating the Hawks through an adversity-filled campaign to finish atop the MAAC. Three MU seniors were named All-MAAC, including Deion Hammond to the First Team, George Papas to the Second Team and Melik Martin to the Third Team. Hammond broke the program's 30-year old record during the season for career made three pointers.

The 2019-20 saw Rice lead the Hawks to an 18-win campaign, tied for the third most in a season in his tenure. He had his third player ever named to the All-MAAC First Team in junior guard Deion Hammond, who finished second in the league in scoring, while backcourt mate Ray Salnave was a Second Team selection. Hammond and Salnave both reached the 1,000 career point plateau in their third seasons. MU finished non-league play over .500 in a slate that included wins over Princeton, Albany, Lehigh and eventual Big South regular season champion Radford, and eventually tied for third in the conference and secured a first-round tournament bye for the fourth time in six seasons. A trio of Hawks were also named to the MAAC All-Academic Team under Rice's leadership.

Rice orchestrated a momentous turnaround in 2018-19, leading the Hawks to the conference finals while beating three teams in the MAAC Tournament that MU had not yet topped during the regular season. He tutored senior big man Diago Quinn into All-MAAC Third Team honors, while the New York City native graduated as the program's all-time games played leader.

Rice coached a pair of players to All-Conference honors in 2017-18, including four-year guard Austin Tilghman, who was named to the Third Team and also became the first guard in school history to register a triple-double, doing so at Yale on December 22. He also mentored Deion Hammond to unanimous All-Rookie Team accolades, with the guard averaging 12 points per contest.

With his second straight conference Coach of the Year honor in 2016-17, Rice became just the third coach in MAAC history to repeat and the second to do it outright, joining former Iona coach Tim Welsh and ex-LaSalle head man Speedy Morris. Rice secured a second consecutive regular season title and the top seed in the MAAC Tournament, coaching the Hawks to a National Invitation Tournament for the second time. He also earned his second straight NABC District I Coach of the Year accolade, the first MU coach to do so.

Rice mentored Justin Robinson to a second straight MAAC Player of the Year and third All-MAAC First Team, as well as being named the Lou Henson National Mid-Major Player of the Year. Robinson graduated as the school's all-time leading scorer at the Division I level and became the second 2,000-point scorer in MU history. He also coached his second MAAC Sixth Man of the Year in three years in guard Austin Tilghman, and a second straight all-league selection for Micah Seaborn, who was named First Team. MU won 17 straight games, including 16 straight to end the regular season, not losing after January 2. He secured a comeback win at Memphis in December, as well as a win over eventual Ivy champion Princeton at home.

In 2015-16, leading the Hawks to a program best 28 wins and a top seed in the National Invitation Tournament, as well as wins over five high-major programs. He coached the Hawks to the MAAC regular season title with a 17-3 league mark, collecting MAAC Coach of the Year honors in addition to being named John McLendon National Coach of the Year. Rice picked up ECAC and NABC District I Coach of the Year accolades as well, while being named a finalist for the Ben Jobe Award.

Rice posted 17 league victories, including an 11-2 mark at home and a nation-leading 13 road tallies and 17 wins away from home, including neutral site wins. He secured Monmouth’s first regular season title in 11 years and the top seed in the conference tournament while knocking off the program’s first-ever ranked opponent in No. 17 Notre Dame on Thanksgiving night as well as wins at UCLA, Georgetown and Rutgers and a neutral site victory over Southern California. The Blue and White also notched its first national postseason win since 2006 and the first ever at home, topping Bucknell in the opening round of the NIT.

In his fifth season in West Long Branch, Rice mentored MAAC Player of the Year Justin Robinson and league Rookie of the Year Micah Seaborn, both of whom were all-conference selections along with senior Deon Jones. Robinson earned multiple national awards while setting the single-season scoring record under Rice’s tutelage.

Following the 2015-16 campaign, Rice was rewarded with a contract extension, which extended his contract to 2020-21.

Rice, who was named a finalist for the 2015 Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year Award, led the Hawks to an 18-15 overall record in 2014-15 and a 13-7 mark in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action, which resulted in the No. 4 seed in the league postseason. The Hawks, who advanced to the conference semifinals in just their second season in the league, put a pair of guards on all-conference teams and held 26 of their opponents to 70 points or less.

In 2014-15, the Hawks placed guard Justin Robinson on the All-MAAC First Team and the NABC All-District Second Team and guard Deon Jones on the All-MAAC Third Team, while senior guard Andrew Nicholas was honored as the league's Sixth Man of the Year.

Rice, whose roster featured nine first-year players and no seniors in 2013-14, guided the Hawks into their first season in the MAAC, where the Blue & White claimed the No. 9 seed in the league's postseason. In his first two seasons in the league, Monmouth outperformed its preseason coaches poll prognostication, as the Hawks were selected sixth prior to 2014-15 and finished the regular season in a tie for third place, with eventual tournament champion Manhattan.

In 2013-14, paced by one of the highest scoring duos in program history in Jones and Nicholas, the Hawks posted an 11-21 overall record, which included the championship trophy in the regional pod of the Barclays Center Classic, and the team's highest scoring average in 13 years.

The Hawks started the 2012-13 campaign with a 5-3 record before finishing their final season in the Northeast Conference with an overall mark of 10-21 and 5-13 in league play. Monmouth, which ranked near the top of the league in steals and turnover margin, capped its season with forward Ed Waite scoring his 1,000th career point and guard Jesse Steele writing his name all over the record books in just two and a half seasons.

In his first season with the Blue and White, Rice made an immediate impact on the program, leading the Hawks to a fifth place tie in the league standings. The Hawks finished 12-20 overall, but finished the year winners of nine of their last 12 games to claim a 10-8 league mark and grab the No. 6 seed in the conference postseason, while Dion Nesmith became the 17th Monmouth player to earn NEC All-Rookie Team accolades in program history. The Hawks, who played three nationally-ranked teams during the year, and competed in the Dick’s Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off, initiated an up-tempo style of play, which then generated the team’s highest scoring average since the 2003-04 campaign.

Rice was named the head men’s basketball coach at Monmouth University on March 30, 2011, and became the fifth head coach in the history of the Monmouth men’s basketball program.

A native of Binghamton, N.Y. and a 1992 graduate of North Carolina, Rice had 13 seasons of experience in the collegiate coaching ranks, 10 of which came with Kevin Stallings. For the previous five seasons before joining the Hawks, Rice was an assistant coach at Vanderbilt under Stallings, where the Commodores made the NCAA Tournament four of those years out of the Southeastern Conference.

Rice served as an assistant to Stallings for five seasons at Illinois State from 1994-98, helping the Redbirds advance to postseason play four times, including two appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Rice helped spearhead recruiting efforts and was noted for his solid relationships with players.

Prior to his stint in Normal, Ill., Rice began his coaching career as an assistant on Jerry Green’s Oregon staff during the 1993 campaign. Following his five seasons with Stallings at Illinois State, Rice was an assistant for two years (1999-2000) at Providence under Tim Welsh.

As a point guard at North Carolina from 1988-91, Rice played for legendary coach Dean Smith, helping the Tar Heels to a 29-6 overall mark and appearance at the 1991 NCAA Final Four. He finished his career ranked third on the Tar Heels’ all-time assist list with 629, and that mark ranks 11th all-time in Atlantic Coast Conference annals. Rice, who was a team captain in 1990-91 alongside Pete Chilcutt and Rick Fox, earned North Carolina’s Carmichael-Cobb Award (team’s outstanding defensive player) as a junior, and as a senior was tabbed the Foy Roberson Award recipient as the team’s Most Inspirational Player.

Rice, who played in 140 career games for the Tar Heels and once had 13 assists in a single-game versus Kentucky, earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from North Carolina in 1992.

Rice also served as head coach of the Bahamian National team for three seasons from 2001-2004.

Along with UNC teammate Fox, Rice formed CarolinaPros, Inc., in 1998. The service organization sponsors a variety of community-based events and provides assistance through mentoring programs, scholarships, skill development and donor education.

Rice also worked as a professional trainer to Fox for five years. Fox played 13 seasons in the NBA with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers from 1992-2004.

A 1987 McDonald’s High School All-American, Rice is married to Summer and the couple has two sons, Alexander and Julian James.

The Rice File

PROFESSIONAL COACHING EXPERIENCE
2011-Present: Head Coach, Monmouth University (West Long Branch, N.J.)
2006-2011: Assistant Coach, Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tenn.)
2001-2004: Head Coach, Bahamian National Team
1999-2000: Assistant Coach, Providence College (Providence, R.I.)
1993-1998: Assistant Coach, Illinois State University (Normal, Ill.)
1992-1993: Assistant Coach, University of Oregon (Eugene, Ore.)

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Birth Date: December 14, 1968 in Binghamton, N.Y.
High School: Binghamton H.S. (N.Y.)
College:  University of North Carolina; B.A. Communications, 1992
Wife: Summer
Children: Sons, Alexander and Julian James

NCAA POSTSEASON APPEARANCES
As a head coach (2):
NIT (Monmouth, 2016, 2017)
As an assistant coach (8):
NCAA (Illinois State 1997, 1998, Vanderbilt 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011)
NIT (Illinois State 1995, 1996)
As a player (4):
NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 (North Carolina 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 [Final Four])
ACC Tournament Championship Teams (1989, 1991)

WHAT'S BEEN SAID ABOUT KING RICE
"We want to congratulate King and his family for this great opportunity to be a collegiate head coach. He brought a tremendous amount of energy, liveliness, hard work, and dedication to his position here at Vanderbilt, and I believe those attributes will make him a very successful head coach at Monmouth. We wish him, his wife Summer, and their son Alexander all of the best in their future endeavors."
- Kevin Stallings, former NCAA Head Coach

"I am ecstatic for King and the Monmouth basketball program. He will do a great job there. He was a coach on the floor as a player and has always thought like a coach. He is ready to be a head coach. I'm confident that Monmouth will look upon this as a great day in its basketball program's history."
- Roy Williams, Head Coach, University of North Carolina

Rice's Year-by-Year Coaching Record