Army and Jeff Monken have agreed to a contract extension through 2027 that will pay the coach more than $2 million, according to multiple reports. Monken's Black Knights are just a couple of days removed from a huge 37-29 win over American Athletic Conference power UTSA. The Black Knights are 2-1 thus far in 2023 with a pair of victories following a season-opening loss to Louisiana-Monroe.
The timing of Monken's reported extension coincides with the program's potential move to the American. The AAC has engaged in "positive" conversations with Army about joining as a football-only member, according to CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd. A deal could be finalized before the end of September.
Should the move come to fruition, Army would replace SMU, which is joining the ACC in 2024. The Black Knights have been independent for nearly their entire history, with a seven-year run in Conference USA from 1998-2004 being the only exception. Navy is already a member of the AAC, which would add a new dimension to the historic Army-Navy game.
Extending Monken shows the program's long-term faith in its 10th-year boss should it join the AAC. Monken boasts five winning seasons with back-to-back double-digit winning efforts in 2017 and 2018. The Black Knights finished the 2018 season ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25 after beating Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl, marking the program's first ranked finish since 1996 and first top-20 finish since 1958. In all, Monken is 4-1 in bowl games.
Maybe most importantly to Army fans, Monken has a winning record against Navy. He is 5-4 against the Midshipmen, and in 2016 he broke Army's 14-game losing streak to its biggest rival. Monken previously coached at Navy from 2002-07 as the team's running backs and special teams units.
Prior to his hiring at Army, Monken was the coach at Georgia Southern, then a member of the Football Championship Subdivision, for four seasons. He led the Eagles to three playoff appearances during his tenure and left with a 38-16 overall record.
