Roane State Community College

Roane State women's basketball coached Monica Boles, center with daughter Kai, coached her final home game Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.

Feb. 25, 2019

By Bob Fowler
Roane State staff writer

Monica Boles, head basketball coach for the Roane State Lady Raiders for 11 seasons, is leaving her coaching duties but not the college.

"Roane State is truly a family, and I can't imagine working anywhere else," Boles said in announcing that this is her final season at the helm of the women's team.

That family atmosphere was apparent during Boles’ final home game on Saturday, Feb. 23 against Walters State. Sophomores from the men’s team, women’s team, and spirit team were recognized. Several of Boles’ former players were also on hand. The former players, colleagues, family and friends celebrated with Boles at a reception to mark her final home game. Boles was clearly touched by outpouring of support.

"We have been extremely fortunate to have had Monica’s fingerprints on our athletic program for such a long time as a coach as well as a player," Roane State Athletic Director Randy Nesbit said. "I will miss her personally, as she is like a sister to me."

Boles, a Fentress County native, said she's leaving the coaching scene because she wants to devote more time to her family. Daughter Kai is starting kindergarten in August, and Monica and her husband Rick Boles "want to be available for all of her milestones."

Boles will remain as faculty in the Roane State Social Science Division, teaching lifetime wellness, safety, nutrition, and first aid and CPR.

Boles found her first true love in basketball. Her playing days began when she was in second grade playing tiny tot games. "At that time you would earn points just for hitting the backboard or rim. I was so small that the officials would lift me up in the air to shoot free throws.

Monica Boles

"My parents had no idea that I could actually play basketball, but one of my teachers had asked them to attend my first game. My mom recounts her amazement on the very first play of that game, as I dribbled the ball coast to coast and scored a layup.

"It was a journey from that day to becoming a starting point guard for the Single A state powerhouse, Clarkrange High School's Lady Buffaloes."

Boles received numerous accolades during her high school and collegiate career, including Player of the Year both years at Roane State. She always felt, however, that she had fallen short, as none of her playing seasons ended in a championship.

While at Clarkrange, "she was a go-getter," said Roane State's Johnny Jones, who was coach of the women's squad when he recruited her. "She played hard continuously."

"What we really liked is she's just a fantastic person. Nobody had anything bad to say about her."

Boles was also recruited by the University of the South and the U.S. Naval Academy coming out of high school, but decided to attend Roane State because of the family-like atmosphere. She was an Honorable mention All-American as well as an academic All-American during her time at Roane State.

Some Division I schools expressed interest in her while she was attending Roane State but she decided to stay closer to home and transferred on to Carson-Newman in hopes that her family could attend some games.

Boles graduated from Carson-Newman with a degree in computer science and started her professional career at Roane State in 2004 as a microcomputer specialist technician. During this time, she also volunteered to serve as the assistant women's basketball coach.

She stepped into the head coach's job in 2008. "I had so many things to learn coming in," she readily admits, "but I also had a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and passion for working with young people."

She also enrolled at Tennessee Tech and earned a master's degree in exercise science, physical education and wellness while sharpening her coaching skills.

Boles said she always sought to build strong relationships with the players, and that was one of the keys to her success as a coach, compiling an overall winning record.

"I appreciate the opportunity to have lived out two of my dreams here at Roane State: playing college basketball and witnessing tremendous growth and maturity in many fine young student-athletes," she said.