Monroe College Mustangs head men’s basketball coach Jeff Brustad will enter his 23rd season at the helm of the program in 2025-26. Brustad has amassed an impressive 577-158 (.785) record through 22 seasons, has coached numerous All-Americans and has moved dozens of student-athletes on to NCAA Division I institutions.
Brustad has become a very decorated coach in his 22 years at Monroe, having been named District Coach of the Year on ten different occasions (2003, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2023. 2025) and Region 15 Coach of the Year 13 times (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022). His awards are directly correlated with his team’s highest successes, which include 12 Region 15 Titles (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020), ten District Championships (2003, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2023, 2025), leading to ten appearances in the NJCAA Div. I National Championship Tournament (2020 NJCAA Championship Tournament was canceled).
Brustad has coached his student-athletes to a number of incredible results, including prestigious awards and the opportunity to play at the next level. Two of his former student-athletes, Orlando Sanchez and Maurice Ndour, went on to play in the NBA. Since 2002-03, Brustad has sent more than 100 student-athletes on to NCAA Div. I programs that include the likes of the University of Dayton, Marshall University, University of South Carolina, Seton Hall University, Fordham University, St. John’s University, Providence University, University of Oregon, University of Utah, Wagner College, Stony Brook University, and many more prominent four-year schools.
During his tenure, Brustad has coached 13 NJCAA Div. I All-Americans, including Eric Mejia (2024-25), Melvin Council Jr. (2021-22 and 2022-23), Juan Felix Rodriguez (2018-19 and 2019-20), Jhery Matos (2017-18), Dani Koljanin (2016-17), Will Tavares (2014-15 and 2015-16), Jaelyn Johnson-Coston (2013-14), Jeff Early (2010-11), Orlando Sanchez (2010-11), Kyle Wright (2008-09), Westly Perryman (2007-08), Dashaun Williams (2006-07) and Garfield Johns (2004-05). Seven student-athletes have been named Region 15 Player of the Year/Most Valuable Player, including Melvin Council Jr. (2021-22), Juan Felix Rodriguez (2018-19 and 2019-20), Jhery Matos (2017-18), Dani Koljanin (2016-17), Jeff Early (2010-11), Westly Perryman (2007-08) and Dashaun Williams (2006-07), while 64 players have been named to the All-Region 15 Team since 2002-03.
The Mustangs had their best finish in the NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship in 2010-11, when Monroe finished third in the tournament. They finished fifth the following season, and, at the time, became one of just four teams since 2000 to reach the tournament in three consecutive seasons.
In 2011-12, the Mustangs matched their highest-ever win total, going 33-4 overall. They previously set that mark in 2005-06 when the Mustangs went 33-5. The team finished with its highest winning percentage in 2002-03, going 31-3 (.912) en route to its first-ever appearance in the NJCAA National Tournament.
This past season, Monroe advanced to the second round of the NJCAA National Tournament as the #20-seed after defeating #13-seed Chipola College in overtime. Devere Palmer Jr., who was named an NJCAA All-American Honorable Mention, led the team in scoring with 17 points.
Brustad graduated from the State University of New York at Oneonta in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in education and mathematics. Brustad went on to earn his master of science degree in recreation education from Lehman College in 2000. Brustad is also a member of the faculty at Monroe College.
