Congratulations to Men’s Basketball Coach Jeff Brustad on His 600th Career Win!

With a decisive victory over Lackawanna College in Scranton, Pa., Monroe University’s Mustangs Men’s Basketball Head Coach Jeff Brustad secured his 600th career win, a milestone built on nearly 30 years of leadership, adaptability, and commitment to student-athlete success.

Now in his 23rd season leading the Mustangs, Brustad entered the year with a 577-158 (.785) record through 22 seasons.

That record places Brustad among the top 10-15 active NJCAA men’s basketball head coaches in career wins nationwide. Over the course of his tenure, he has sent more than 100 players to NCAA Division I programs, building one of the strongest sustained winning percentages and program-building résumés in junior college basketball.

While the number itself is significant, Brustad said he has never coached for milestones.

“I don’t count those numbers,” Brustad said. “I tell my team I want you to be lost in the season, lost within the team, and just focus on day-to-day stuff.”

Reaching 600 wins places Brustad among an elite group of long-tenured coaches and emphasizes the longstanding prestige of Monroe’s Mustangs Men’s Basketball program.

“I’ve had the privilege of being at the university for most of Coach Brustad’s milestones. I feel that 600 career wins is just an amazing accomplishment in a game where only 30 games are scheduled during a regular season,” said Luis Melendez, Monroe’s Assistant Vice President of Athletics.

“Year in and year out, I witness Coach Brustad’s ability to take new groups of student-athletes and mold them into winning programs. It takes dedication, confidence, and, most of all, skill. He has the intangible leadership skills that allow him to form hard-working and committed rosters,” Melendez continued.

His Monroe journey began nearly three decades ago. At the time, he was working as an assistant coach at another school and was scouting Monroe’s newly formed team at Horace Mann High School in the Bronx.

“There were maybe seven people in the stands watching the game,” Brustad recalled. “And one of them was [then-President] Stephen Jerome.”

That conversation with Stephen Jerome, now the Chairman of Monroe’s Board of Trustees, would prove fortuitous. When Monroe’s head coach moved on at the end of the season, Brustad joined as an assistant coach in a full-time position that also included responsibilities in admissions and academics.

“I found him at Sullivan County Community College. He was the assistant coach for the team up there. They had the best D3 team in the United States. So I hired him, and he’s been winning 20-plus games every year for the last 30 years,” said Chairman Jerome. “He’s a phenomenal coach, and he has a very close relationship with all of his players. He’s a great guy.”

Brustad began working in what was then called the PASS program, tutoring students in math and English as they prepared to retake entrance exams. From there, he transitioned into teaching mathematics courses -- a position he still holds today. Both in the classroom and on the court, Brustad finds ways to continue growing as an educator and making an impact on his students and players.

“Like any instructor will tell you, you have lesson plans and what you want to cover, and goals in mind, and exams and quizzes and preparation and practice,” he said. “Those are the same things in basketball. Execution is execution.”

Just like his students, his players all have their own unique approaches to learning and absorbing new information or skills.

“You can be hard on one kid or challenge another kid,” Brustad said. “If you’re struggling in math, you get extra help. It’s the same in basketball. If you’re struggling with your foul shots, you need to put more time into it.”

Adaptability has become the defining trait of his coaching tenure. At the two-year level, rosters turn over annually, requiring constant adjustment.

“Every team is different from year to year,” Brustad said. “Being able to adjust on the fly has been critical.”

Coach Brustad’s leadership reflects Monroe’s commitment to developing the whole student -- academically and personally. Over the years, Monroe’s roster has reflected a wide range of backgrounds, from local players to student-athletes from the tri-state area and international recruits.

“I’ve always kind of liked diversity in who we bring into our program. We get a couple of local kids, we get kind of a tri-state area and international. We mix styles of play and backgrounds together, which I always feel makes you stronger at the end of the year,” Brustad said. “Kids from the City integrating with kids from Sweden is a good thing,” he said. “Different cultures and different approaches to the game and academics -- it’s all kind of related.”

Many Monroe student-athletes have gone on to compete at major universities, including the University of Kansas and Rutgers University, as well as Hofstra University, Robert Morris University, and Oakland University. He has coached numerous All-Americans and sent more than 100 student-athletes to NCAA Division I institutions.

“To see them performing at a high level at the University of Kansas or Rutgers University -- that’s really something that makes me proud of what I do,” Brustad said.

Brustad has also been named District Coach of the Year ten times and coached the Mustangs to their best finish ever at 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 spite of the milestone moment, Brustad is quick to point out that 600 wins are not the result of one person’s effort.

“You need to have a great administration or an institution to allow you to pursue this,” he said. “A great staff in terms of basketball over the years, with different assistant coaches. I’ve been blessed with a lot of great people who have come in and worked with me toward that goal.”

He also credits the broader campus community.

“People who have worked in student services, housing, academics -- they all play a role in the success of any team or department around the institution,” Brustad said. “It’s definitely a team effort.”

As he reflects on three decades at Monroe, it is the long-term impact that resonates most, not a single basket, win, or tournament.

“The players keep me young. They keep me motivated. They challenge me,” Brustad said. “To be able to guide kids through some critical years of their lives and hopefully mold them in a positive way -- that’s really my proudest moment.”

To get to 600 wins, a coach has to oversee a lot more than 600 games. While all coaches want to win, accepting losses is a part of playing any sport.

“Coaches always strive for perfection,” he said. “When you don’t meet it, you wear it on your sleeve sometimes.”

Even at 600 wins, Brustad is not focused on slowing down. As Monroe continues its transition into NCAA competition, he anticipates new challenges for student-athletes and the institution as a whole.

“It’s going to generate a whole new slew of challenges,” he said. “I’m looking forward to them.”

He continues to drive for the love of the game and the team environment. For Brustad, it’s all about assembling a roster, building cohesion, and navigating a long season together.

“Every year you get dealt your group,” he said. “You devise your plan. Sometimes it goes smoothly, and sometimes they struggle. But that challenge -- that’s what keeps you going.”

And if his closing remark is any indication, 600 may simply be a waypoint.

“I’m hoping to get to 700 pretty quick, too,” he said.

Monroe University will hold a celebration of Coach Brustad’s milestone at its New Rochelle, NY campus.