MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / May 15, 1999

LAPLACE – St. Charles Catholic did not have to go far for its next headfootball coach, just over to the baseball diamond.

The school hired Frank Monica as its new head football coach this week, succeeding Wayde Keiser who resigned recently. The Comets are comingoff a 5-6 record and a spot in the bi-district playoffs, their 11th consecutive playoff appearance.

“I had missed football,” Monica said of taking the job. “It becomes a partof you. The hardest part was succeeding Wayde. He did an excellent jobhere.”Monica will remain the Comets’ head baseball coach. Over the last twoyears, he has guided the program to a 51-15 record including a District 9- 2A championship and a Class 2A championship game appearance in 1998.

This past season, the Comets set record for victories (27) and home runs (38) in a season.

Monica, a graduate of Reserve High School and Nicholls State University, began his coaching career at Lutcher High School in 1971. He served as theBulldogs’ offensive coordinator on the 1975 state championship squad.

Two years later, as head coach, he led the Bulldogs to another state championship. While at Lutcher, Monica compiled a 36-4 record.Monica then went on to serve under Larry Smith and Vince Gibson at Tulane where he helped the Green Wave to two bowl appearances. The Garyvillenative returned to the River Parishes in 1983 as head coach at Riverside.

That season, he led the Rebels to a 13-0 record and the Louisiana Independent School Association state championship.

The following year, Monica went to Jesuit High School where he coached five years, compiling a 37-14 record and winning two Catholic League titles. Monica went back to Tulane in 1989, becoming the Green Wave’soffensive coordinator in 1996.

Spring practice started at the school Tuesday and Monica said he will use the spring to get the players accustomed to the new system. He said hewill work with returning coaches Mark Chapman, Paul Waguespack and Mickey Simon to walk him through practice. The spring will end with ascrimmage against Hahnville.

In a press release issued by the school, SCC principal Andrew Cupit said he is pleased to have someone of Monica’s caliber available for the position.

“We are very fortunate to have a person of coach Monica’s qualifications available to continue our football tradition,” Cupit said. “We are in a veryunique situation here at SCC. When coach Monica came to us, he reallydidn’t know if he wanted to be involved in football at the high school level again. As things panned out, the position became available and werefortunate enough to have him accept the job, especially considering we were this late in the year. It is a huge plus for our football program to geta coach named so that spring football practices can still be held.”

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