The Culture Shift That Saved Army Football | Army Head Coach Jeff Monken

2025-07-03

In this episode of Next Up with Adam Breneman, Adam sits down with Army Head Coach Jeff Monken, one of the most respected and disciplined leaders in college football. Coach Monken shares the full story of how he took over a struggling Army program in 2014 and built it into a winner, leading them to a historic 12-win season and conference championship. He talks about the unique challenges of coaching at a service academy, the culture shift he demanded from day one, and why the mission at West Point goes far beyond...

He talks about the unique challenges of coaching at a service academy, the culture shift he demanded from day one, and why the mission at West Point goes far beyond football. Monken dives deep into how he’s used analytics to gain an edge, why he returned to the triple-option offense, and what makes players like Bryson Daily so special.

He also opens up about adversity in his coaching journey, how he evaluates young coaches, and why serving his players is his greatest responsibility. This is a masterclass in leadership, toughness, and purpose from one of the most principled coaches in the game.

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CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Intro

1:01 - Year 1 at Army and Week 1

4:01 - 2014–Now: what Coach Monken is most proud of

5:52 - How Coach Monken got the Army job

12:55 - Building leadership at Army

15:55 - Most important decision Coach Monken has made in his life

17:45 - Managing the standard to get into Army & challenge recruiting players

23:25 - Running the triple option offense

31:30 - Bryson Daily

34:19 - Cody Worley (Army Offensive Coordinator)

38:55- What Coach Monken looks for in young coaches

42:15 - How Coach Monken has changed the most as a coach

43:48 - Using data and analytics at Army

50:18 - Current state of NIL / Portal at Army

58:30- Talking to players who are transferring

1:03:08 - Overcoming adversity

1:10:03 - Rapid fire

On Next Up, college football analyst Adam Breneman sits down with the most influential names in college sports and lets them tell their stories unfiltered, direct to the fans.

Next Up is a Front Office Sports Network show featuring candid, open, and honest conversations with the most impactful figures in college sports including head coaches, athletes, athletic directors, commissioners, entrepreneurs, media personalities, agents, and executives shaping the business of college sports.

Adam is a former All-American, Penn State alum and media personality. Front Office Sports is the leading multi-platform media and news organization covering the intersection of sports, business and culture.

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