Head Coach
Steve
Bell, 10th Year
Phone 309-457-2174
E-mail:
sbell@monm.edu
Now in his tenth year of coaching
the Fighting Scots, Steve Bell has built an impressive
resume. Bell’s teams have gone 68-25, including an 11-1 record in 2008,
when Monmouth won the Midwest Conference for the second time since
2005
and Bell was named the league’s Coach of the Year. The Scots reached the
second round NCAA playoffs and hosted two NCAA games for the first time
in school history. The Scots led the nation in Division III with a 46.75
point-per-game average in 2008. Bell’s winning percentage of .731 is the
best by a Monmouth coach since Warren Taylor posted a .763 winning
percentage from 1930-31. In addition to his coaching duties, Bell serves
the college as a physical education instructor. He received his
bachelor’s degree in that field at Bemidji State.
Defensive Coordinator
Chad Braun, 10th
Year
Phone 309-457-2176
E-mail:
chbraun@monm.edu
Chad Braun was the first assistant coach named by Bell. He serves
as the defensive coordinator for the Scots and is also the men’s tennis
coach and strength and conditioning coach. His 2004 unit tied the
school’s modern day record with four shutouts that season. In 2005, the
team scored a school record three TDs off interceptions. In 2009,
Braun's tennis team finished second in the conference, the Scots'
highest finish since 1938. Braun was an
All-MWC gridiron performer at Illinois College and earned his master’s
degree in physical education/sports management from Western Illinois
University.
Offensive Line Coach
Dave Ragone,
10th year E-mail: dragone@monm.edu
Dave Ragone has also been on Bell’s staff since the beginning,
working with the offensive line and special teams. Ragone, who also
worked with Bell for one year at Bemidji State, played at Ursinus
College, graduating in 1992. As the coach of the men’s golf team, he has
led Monmouth to four MWC titles in eight years, and the team placed 23rd in the
nation in 2009.
Tight Ends Coach
Steve Elliott, 10th year
Steve Elliott, the tight
ends coach, is a 1977 graduate of Monmouth College. He’s entering his
tenth year as an assistant to Bell, and serves as the assistant
wrestling coach at Monmouth-Roseville High School where he’s also been a
member of the football coaching staff.
Defensive Line
Coach
Lyle Pierce, 6th year
Lyle Pierce
joined the MC staff in 2004 after a long and distinguished career at the
high school level, serving first as an assistant to legendary high
school coach Galen Noard before forging a successful head coaching
career at a pair of local high schools. He works with the defensive
line.
Linebacker Coach
Derrick Johnston, 7th year
Derrick
Johnston, who will work with the linebackers, has been part of
Bell’s staff for seven seasons. He is a 1993 graduate of Blackburn
College, where he was a four-year starter and all-conference linebacker.
He is married to Christine Johnston, Monmouth’s dean of admission.
Running Backs Coach
Nate Johnson, 4th year
Nate Johnson
is a former Fighting Scot running back who brings head coaching
experience from the high school level. Johnson, who is in his third year on staff, will coach the running backs.
Kicking Coach Nate Palkovic, 2nd year
Volunteer assistant Nate Palkovic had a
record-setting career as the Fighting Scots’ kicker and punter. "Palko"
holds numerous school kicking records, including a record 46 yard field
goal. He also holds the Scots' scoring record, logging 251 points, all
but two by kicking. In fours years at Monmouth, he made 90 percent of
his PATs and averaged 38.7 yards on punts, tying Hall of Famer Ron Baker
for the career record. Palkovic played arena football for the Peoria
Pirates this spring and will work with Monmouth’s kickers and punters.
