Chris Neely joined the Monroe University Express as head men's basketball coach heading into the 2020-21 season. Neely has been with Monroe University since 2012, serving as the Monroe University Mustangs' head JV men's basketball coach for eight seasons, as well as an assistant coach for the Mustangs men's basketball team.
In his first four seasons with the Express, Neely has led the Express to a Region 15/Northeast District Championship and automatic bid into the NJCAA Division III Men's Basketball National Tournament, been selected as the Northeast District Coach of the Year, and mentored eight student-athletes who earned All-Region team honors. The Express earned a national ranking during three of his four seasons and have won seven games against nationally ranked opponents under Neely's tutorage. Neely has produced an impressive 83-44 overall record (.654) during his four seasons at the helm for the Express.
In his first year as head coach at Monroe - Bronx in 2021-22, Neely led the Express to their first ever the Region 15 and Northeast District Championships, as well as the team's debut in the NJCAA National Tournament. Neely was named the Northeast District Coach of the Year. The Express went 22-11 overall that season (the most wins in program history), including 11-5 in Region 15 play to earn the No. 2 seed in the regional postseason, and defeated a pair of nationally ranked teams in the process. That same year, he guided three players who earned All-Region 15 team honors: Isaiah Stone (first team), Jasigha Barnes (second team), and Jaiden Simon (sportsmanship team). Stone also earned a spot on the NJCAA All-Tournament team. Six of his student-athletes were named to the Region 15 All-Academic team, including Audley Falconer who was also selected to the NJCAA All-Academic second team.
In 2022-23, the Express went 21-11 overall, and 12-4 in the region, and once again finished second in the regional standings. The Express won their Region 15 Quarterfinal game against Suffolk County Community College to earn a berth in the regional semifinal round. Barnes was selected to the All-Region first team, Abubakar Kromah earned All-Region second-team status, and Jovan Young earned All-Region sportsmanship honors. Four players made the Region 15 All-Academic team, including Timothy Charles who was named to the NJCAA All-Academic second team and Jordan Wilson who earned NJCAA All-Academic third team honors.
In 2023-24, the Express produced a 20-11 overall record and finished in second place in the Region 15 standings for the third year in a row, going 13-5 in region contests. Monroe - Bronx had a very strong season defensively as Neely's squad finished the season No. 1 in the country in opponent 3-point field goal percentage (26.4), third across NJCAA Division III in opponent field goal percentage (38.3%) and sixth in the nation in opponent points per game (67.3). The Express defeated nationally ranked No. 11 Dutchess Community College on the road. Monroe - Bronx earned a thrilling victory in overtime in the Region 15 Quarterfinals against Queesnborough Community College to advance to the regional semifinal round for the third straight season. Kromah was selected to the All-Region first team, while Young earned All-Region honorable mention accolades. Jaream Eason was named to the All-Region sportsmanship team. Four players were selected to the Region 15 All-Academic team, while two student-athletes landed on the NJCAA All-Academic team.
In 2024-25, Monroe - Bronx went 20-11 overall and 12-6 in Region 15 play, good for third place in the regional standings. The Express knocked off the then-defending Region 15 Champion and nationally ranked No. 14 Hostos Community College in the regional semifinal round to earn a berth in the Region 15 Championship Game. He coached Dimitre Alston who was named the NJCAA Division III Men's Basketball National Player of the Week three times in his rookie season and earned a spot on the All-Region first team. The men's basketball program earned the Team Academic Award at the Monroe - Bronx Athletics Department's Awards Lunch for having the highest team GPA out of all the Express teams during the Fall 2024 Semester. Rene Willliams earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District College Division At-Large team honors while two of Neely's student-athletes were named to the NJCAA All-Academic second team. Six student-athletes were selected to the Region 15 All-Academic team. Rene Williams was named to the Eastern Athletic Communications Association Academic Honor Roll.
Before his incredible coaching run for the Express started, Neely spent eight successful seasons at the helm of the Mustangs' junior varsity program. He recruited and coached teams that were highly competitive, not only against junior varsity and prep programs, but also against NJCAA opponents both within and outside of Region XV. Neely also helped establish the American Independent Post Grad and Collegiate Conference (AIPGCC), a competitive athletic conference for junior varsity and preparatory schools in Lower New York and Upper New Jersey, for which he served as its commissioner.
Neely was named the AIPGCC Coach of the Year for both 2019 and 2020. More than 30 alumni of the Mustangs JV program have moved on to junior college and four-year varsity programs throughout Neely's tenure, including a number of student-athletes that made the jump from the Mustangs' JV team to the varsity team, as well as three student-athletes that went on to play for the Monroe Express. Neely also played a large role in recruiting and development for the Mustangs men's basketball program and helped guide the Mustangs to District Championships and appearances at the NJCAA Div. I Men's Basketball Championship tournament in 2015 and 2017.
Neely specializes in developing fundamentals and techniques, which have been key in his time at Monroe and in his experiences prior to landing in New Rochelle. Through these programs, he has helped send countless athletes on to NCAA Division I programs. Neely had most recently worked with the Riverbank Runnin' Rebels before coming to Monroe. He was involved with the Long Island Lightning (EYBL) before Riverbank, and also worked with programs such as Hoop Group Elite, Crusaders Basketball Program and St. Charles Borromeo. Neely has also committed his time to numerous college camps and clinics.
Coach Neely’s basketball philosophy is summed up by the four C's:
Character
Commitment
Communication
Compete
Coach Neely is also a high school teacher at Archdiocese of New York. He earned his bachelor of arts in liberal arts from the College of New Rochelle. Neely is also pursuing his master's in coaching and athletic administration.
