Chris Monfiletto - Football Coach

Chris Monfiletto

Title:
Assistant Special Teams Coordinator/Specialist Coach
Alma Mater:
Davidson College, '04
Year at UCLA:
1st in 2026
Email:
cmonfiletto@athletics.ucla.edu

Chris Monfiletto enters his 20th season of collegiate coaching and first as UCLA’s assistant special teams coordinator/specialist coach in 2026. Monfiletto, who has spent three of the past five seasons as a special teams coordinator, will assist special teams coordinator Drew Canan.

Monfiletto most recently completed a trio of one-year stops at Buffalo (2025), Wake Forest (2024) and Colorado State (2023). At Buffalo, he led a special teams unit that tied for third nationally with four blocked kicks and ranked third in the Mid-American Conference in net punting.

Prior to Colorado State, Monfiletto spent four seasons at Rice (2019–22), including the final two as the Owls’ special teams coordinator. He joined the program as an offensive quality control assistant in 2019 and assisted with the tight ends during the abbreviated 2020 season.

Under Monfiletto, Rice tied for 18th nationally in 2021 with three blocked kicks for its highest total since 2015. The Owls also finished in the top 50 nationally in both punt and kickoff returns. The season was highlighted by a 48-yard punt return by Sean Fresch in the finale against Louisiana Tech, the program’s longest punt return since 1998.

Monfiletto arrived at Rice following seven seasons (2012–18) as the head coach at NCAA Division III Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, where he engineered a significant turnaround. He inherited a program coming off consecutive winless seasons and led the Lords to their first victory in three years in his second game. Kenyon later won three consecutive games during his inaugural season to contend for the North Coast Athletic Conference title.

In addition to his head coaching duties, Monfiletto coached quarterback Thomas Merkle, Kenyon’s all-time leader in completions (1,070) and passing yards (10,227). Wide receivers Ian Robertson and Brian Hunca also thrived under his guidance. Robertson finished fourth in NCAA Division III in receiving yards (1,203) in 2018 and set a school record with 101 receptions, while Hunca ranked fourth nationally in receiving yards (1,283) in 2016 and later earned a rookie minicamp tryout with Washington.

Before Kenyon, Monfiletto spent two seasons at Lycoming College (2010-11), serving as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2010 and offensive coordinator in 2011. The team posted a 14-6 record during his tenure. He also served as Lycoming’s director of athletics from July through December 2011.

Monfiletto was the head coach at Western Reserve Academy (Ohio) from 2008-09 and previously spent three seasons (2005-07) at his alma mater, Davidson College, as running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. The Wildcats posted two winning seasons during that span.

He began his coaching career in 2024 at his high school alma mater, the Hun School of Princeton, serving as special teams coordinator and coaching wide receivers and defensive backs. He helped lead the program to the New Jersey Prep A state title.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, and raised in Solebury, Pennsylvania, Monfiletto attended high school at the Hun School and went on to play collegiate football at Davidson College, where he graduated in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in history. In Summer 2011, he earned a master's degree in athletic administration from Ohio University’s College of Business.

Monfiletto and his wife, Emily, have one son, Vincent.

Monfiletto’s Coaching Experience
2004 – Special Teams Coordinator/Wide Receivers/Defensive Backs, Hun School of Princeton (High School)
2005-07 – Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator, Davidson (FCS)
2008, 2009 – Head Coach, Western Reserve Academy (High School)
2010 – Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks, Lycoming College (NCAA DIII)
2011 – Offensive Coordinator/Director of Athletics, Lycoming College (NCAA DIII)
2012-18 – Head Coach/Quarterbacks, Kenyon College (NCAA DII)
2019 – Offensive Quality Control Coach, Rice
2020 – Tight Ends Coach, Rice
2021, 2022 – Special Teams Coordinator, Rice
2023 – Offensive Assistant/Interim Offensive Line Coach, Colorado State
2024 – Special Teams Analyst, Wake Forest
2025 – Special Teams Coordinator, Buffalo
2026 – Assistant Special Teams Coordinator/Specialist Coach, UCLA