Ted Monachino, the former UNC defensive line coach, is gaining momentum as a name to know in defensive coordinator circles.
Ted Monachino’s Coaching Career
Monachino enjoyed a highly successful and incredibly diverse career path. After playing three seasons at Missouri, the new coach spent six years at two high schools as a defensive coordinator and special teams coach. Starting his upward climb saw Monachino thrive at James Madison and Missouri State before his first FBS coordinator job.
In 2000, Monachino accepted the job at Boise State, helping a top-50 defense win the Humanitarian Bowl. From stops in the NFL with Jacksonville, Baltimore, Indianapolis, and Chicago to returning to college gigs in Missouri and North Carolina, the veteran coach has seen it all.
However, at both the college and professional levels, one player crossed paths with Monachino twice, which was mutually beneficial for both of them.
At Arizona State, Monachino started tutoring a converted tight end and a former basketball player who looked to make an impact on defense.
Terrell Suggs arrived in Tempe as the 16th-best player in the nation, according to the Sporting News. By his own admission, Monachino coached Suggs, the man and the player.
Leaving Arizona State with 44 sacks and 14 forced fumbles with several individual awards, he became a Baltimore Raven with the No. 10 pick of the 2003 NFL Draft. Meanwhile, when they met again, Suggs sat in the middle of five consecutive years of less than 10 sacks.
His college position coach arrives, and the seven-time Pro Bowler enjoys the best five-year stretch of his career with 49 sacks and 70 tackles for loss. Suggs praised Monachino when he headed to work for the Colts.
“Monumental,” Suggs said. “The keystone, if you ask me. He’s revamped my career. It’s definitely a winning formula, and I love the guy. I would play for him with one arm.”
Ted Monachino has done some really good work with linebackers in the NFL.
Got career-best sack production from Terrell Suggs (14) and Erik Walden (11).
Also helped C.J. Mosley become a Pro Bowler as a rookie in 2014.#Bears pic.twitter.com/vbXd3CZLn4
— Erik Lambert (@ErikLambert1) January 16, 2019
Of all of Monachino’s stops, his two-season stay in Chapel Hill ranks among his most challenging. First, he worked for a Carolina team that prioritized offense above all else. As a result, the team lacked defensive depth and talent.
According to one source, the head coach planned to leave after 2024, the feeling of “mailing it in” became prevalent.
Yet, through all of the obstacles, the Tar Heels ranked tenth in sacks (41) and 45th in tackles for loss (82), literally making a dollar out of 15 cents. With Bill Belichick running the Tar Heels, Monachino becomes a highly sought-after coaching professional.
For Monachino, everything depends on the ability to wreck the backfield. Whoever lands this decorated leader as a coordinator will see an immediate spike inline production.
Sacks, tackles for loss, and 1-on-1 win rates will change for the better. Monachino teaches the athlete from the technical game and the mental approach. If pass rushing is an art, he supplies the canvas and paint. Equally important, a strong pass rush will turn the most average of secondaries into a good one with less rush time.
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Monachino brings nearly three decades of effective and productive coaching to any team. Teams value experience but also want results. Suggs, a future NFL Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl champion will definitely namecheck Monachino when Canton calls in the next few years.
More importantly, the coach’s position groups also enjoyed good seasons despite not possessing the elite talent of other teams. While talent plays, coaching matters, and through those lessons, programs will change their defensive fate and show marked improvement.
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