Saint Mary’s College announced late last year  that they would be adding Division I swimming & water polo programs for the 2026 school year. We got to know Ellie Monobe, who had been the head coach at Pepperdine, and is now the head coach for both the men’s and women’s inaugural 2026-27 season.

While with the Pepperdine Waves, Monobe led them to their first-ever conference championship in 2022 as members of the PCSC. Then another title win in 2023 before moving to the MPSF. In 2025, they earned their 3rd conference title in four years and their first in the MPSF.

Monobe has also earned four Coach of the Year awards. In 2021, 2022, and 2023 she earned the designation with the PCSC and last season she won the award in the MPSF.

She competed for the Golden Bears for four seasons from 2007-2011 as a breaststroke and IMer. 

Ellie feels very connected to the Bay Area via her Cal Berkeley roots and summers in Lafayette, competing and coaching with club teams.  She appreciates to this day, the support from her rec team host families.  This feels like her "home away" from her Fremont hometown.  She has extended relatives in the Bay and values family, becoming a new aunt recently, and keeping gratitude as a cornerstone for balancing work/life goals.  With a strong athletic work ethic, she is naturally disciplined about leveraging her physical outlets, as well as her support network as needed. She invests solid time, into relationship with peers/coaches/hobbies, not the least of which she devotes to her French Bulldog. 

Ellie will be focused on further defining her coaching goals and building her roster in the coming months, and we will be focused on watching her success!