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Lori Lyons, LSWA

The winningest coach in the River Parishes will be joining yet another prestigious Hall of Fame next year.

Frank Monica, who retired from his role as head football coach at St. Charles Catholic in LaPlace in 2021, will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame next year. Monica was inducted into the AllState Sugar Bowl Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in August. He was inducted into the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.

Monica joins a class of nine sports greats who have been chosen for the 65th induction class by a panel of 40 sports writers from around the state.

Also selected for enshrinement are former Saints quarterback Drew Brees, eight-time WNBA All-Star Seimone Augustus, mixed martial arts icon Daniel Cormier of Lafayette, Breeders’ Cup winning thoroughbred jockey Ray Sebille from Sunset, La., 1992 Olympic wrestling gold medalist Kevin Jackson, former Tulane basketball coach Perry Clark and McNeese football great Kerry Joseph. The class also includes retired Grambling baseball coach Wilbert Ellis, who will receive the second Louisiana Sports Ambassador Award. Still to be selected are two recipients of the Distinguished Service Award for sports journalism. 

The induction will be held at the Natchitoches Events Center in Natichitoches, La., the home of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. The date of the 2024 event has not yet been set.

Monica spent a half-century coaching football and baseball in Louisiana including 30 seasons as a head high school football coach at Lutcher High School, Riverside Academy, Jesuit High School and St. Charles Catholic, where the field is named for him. He compiled a football record of 284-91, winning  state titles at Lutcher (1978), Riverside (1983) and St. Charles (2011).

In his 24 seasons at St. Charles Catholic he guided the Comets to 12 state semifinals appearances and six state finals berths. He also spent 12 seasons over two stints as an assistant coach at Tulane University in New Orleans.

Monica started as a stellar athlete himself. The Leon Godchaux graduate was the baseball team captain and starting third baseman for the 1970 Nicholls State squad that reached the Division II College World Series championship game. He was an All Area AA defensive player and was named to the AA All-State team in 1965.

He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Nicholls State in 1971. That fall he became an assistant football and baseball coach at Lutcher. He won a baseball state title there in 1975 and a state football title in 1978.

He later moved to Riverside Academy and won a title there in 1983.

Monica served two different stints as an assistant football coach at Tulane, the first, from 1979-1982 under Larry Smith and Vince Gibson, took him to the Liberty Bowl and the Hall of Fame Bowl. His second was from 1989-1996 under Greg Davis and Buddy Teevens.

In between Tulane jobs, Monica went to Jesuit for four years, leading the Blue Jays to three playoff appearances.

After he left Tulane the second time, he landed at St. Charles Catholic in 1997. His football team won a state championship in 2011. They were runners-up in 2005, 2006, 2018 and 2019.

The 2024 Induction Celebration will kick off with a press conference and reception. The three-day festivities include two receptions, a free youth sports clinic, a bowling party, and a riverbank concert in Natchitoches. Tickets for the Induction Ceremony, along with congratulatory advertising and sponsorship opportunities, will be available through the LaSportsHall.com website once the induction celebration dates are announced.

Anyone can receive quarterly e-mails about the 2024 Induction Celebration and other Hall of Fame news by signing up on the LaSportsHall.com website.

The 2024 Induction Celebration will be hosted by the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation, the support organization for the Hall of Fame. The LSHOF Foundation was established as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit entity in 1975 and is governed by a statewide board of directors.  For information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Foundation President/CEO Ronnie Rantz at 225-802-6040 or RonnieRantz@LaSportsHall.com.  Standard and customized sponsorships are available.

For updates on the 2024 Induction Celebration, use this link: lasportshall.com/InductionInfo