HOWARD J. TOMLINSON III OR “MONK” AS MOST PEOPLE CALLED HIM, COMPLETED A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL COLLEGIATE FOOTBALL AND TRACK CAREER AT WILLIAM AND MARY IN 1959.  THE SUMMER FOLLOWING HIS GRADUATION, HE WORKED AS A GROUP LEADER AT THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY SARGENT CAMP.  WHILE AT CAMP, HE DISCUSSED HIS FUTURE OPTIONS WITH THE CAMP ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR., BOYDSON BAIRD, THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AND COACH AT MARYVILLE COLLEGE.  BAIRD WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH MONK’S ABILITY TO TEACH AND INSTRUCT YOUNG PEOPLE, HE ASKED HIM TO COME TO MARYVILLE AND BECOME A MEMBER OF HIS COACHING STAFF.  AS AN ASSISTANT COACH AT MC, IT DID NOT TAKE HIM LONG TO EARN THE RESPECT OF HIS PLAYERS.  HE WOULD NOT HESITATE TO JUMP INTO THE DRILL AND DEMONSTRATE THE PROPER TECHNIQUE OF AN OFFENSIVE OR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN. 

BECAUSE MONK WAS A RECENT COLLEGE FOOTBALL STAR HIMSELF, THE PLAYERS LISTENED AND RESPONDED TO HIS DEMANDS.  WHILE SERVING AS AN ASSISTANT, THE FIGHTING SCOTS WERE 22-19-1 DURING THE FIVE YEAR PERIOD FROM 1959 –1964.  IN 1964, “MONK” TOOK OVER AS HEAD FOOTBALL COACH.  BY THIS TIME OF HIS CAREER, HIS PHILOSOPHY OF THE GAME HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED.  HE WAS REFERRED TO AS A “HARD-NOSED” COACH -- A STRICT DISCIPLINARIAN THAT BELIEVED IN CONDITIONING AND FUNDAMENTALS.  HE FELT THAT A SOLID DEFENSE WAS THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL SEASON. 
HIS ASSISTANT AND LONG-TIME FRIEND, LAUREN KARDATZKE SAID THAT HE ALWAYS TOOK THE BEST ATHLETES AND PUT THEM ON DEFENSE AND THEN EXPECTED HIM TO WIN GAMES WITH THE OFFENSE FROM THE TALENT THAT WAS LEFT.  AND THEY DID WIN GAMES. 

THE 1964 MC MEN OF THE GRIDIRON FINISHED THE SEASON WITH A 7-1 RECORD.  MONK’S TEAM IN ’68 WOULD FINISH WITH A 6-3 MARK, BUT THAT WOULD BE AS CLOSE AS HE WOULD GET TO THE STANDARD ESTABLISHED BY THE ’64 TEAM. 

AFTER FOOTBALL WAS OVER, “MONK” TURNED TO TRACK.  HE ASSUMED THE DUTIES AS HEAD TRACK COACH IN 1960.  IN 12 SEASONS, HE WORKED DILIGENTLY TO PUT TOGETHER A TEAM THAT WOULD PROUDLY REPRESENT THE COLLEGE.  THE TEAMS DID MORE THAN JUST BE REPRESENTATIVE.  THEY WON SEVERAL DUAL MEETS AND MONK COACHED NUMEROUS SMALL COLLEGE STATE CHAMPIONS.  AS QUOTED BY KEN KRIBBS IN THE HISTORY OF ATHLETICS AT MARYVILLE COLLEGE. “THE FORMER FIELD STAR AT WILLIAM AND MARY, [REFERRING TO COACH TOMLINSON] WORKED CEASELESSLY TO RESTORE THE INTERCOLLEGIATE SPORT TO A RIGHTFUL ROLE OF RESPECT ON THE HILL – IN A PERIOD OF LESS THAN A DECADE, THE DASH AND DISTANCE MEN WOULD JOIN THE FIELD EVENT MEMBERS TO ERASE SEVERAL LONG STANDING RECORDS OF PREVIOUS PERFORMERS OF THE CINDER PATHS – SOME OF THE STATISTICS DATING BACK ABOUT HALF A CENTURY.” ONCE AGAIN, COACH TOMLINSON HAD RE-ESTABLISED RESPECT AND DIGNITY TO YET ANOTHER SPORT AT MARYVILLE COLLEGE. 

IN 1967, THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT MADE ITS MOVE TO NCAA DIVISION III.  MONK WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN ASSISTING THE COLLEGE IN THIS ADJUSTMENT PERIOD.  FOR A LONG TIME, THE COLLEGE’S SPORTS TEAMS WERE INDEPENDENT. 

MANY OF THE ATHLETES RECEIVED TUITION GRANTS OR ASSISTANCE FROM SEVERAL DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS.  WITH THE MOVE TO DIVISION III AND NO ATHLETIC FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, MONK ACCEPTED THE CHALLENGE OF RECRUITING WITHOUT THE “SPECIAL BENEFITS”.  HE WAS THE FIRST COACH TO EXTEND HIS RECRUITING SCOPE INTO GEORGIA AND FLORIDA .

MONK RESIGNED HIS POSITIONS AT MC IN 1971.  FROM THAT POINT OF HIS CAREER UNTIL 1990, HE SERVED AS AN ASSISTANT FOOTBALL COACH ON THE STAFFS OF TENNESSEE TECH, NORTHEAST LOUISIANA, TULANE, AND NORTH CAROLINA.  TODAY, MONK SERVES AS ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR IN CHARGE OF FOOTBALL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA.  HE AND HIS WIFE SHIRLEY RESIDE IN CHAPEL HILL.  THEY HAVE TWO CHILDREN JULIE AND JOHN CURTIS.  THEY ALSO HAVE TWO GRANDCHILDREN.  MONK TOMLINSON HELPED BUILD THE LEGACY OF MARYVILLE COLLEGE ATHLETICS.  HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN ESTABLISHING THE  FOUNDATION OF STRESSING VALUES IN ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION.  EVERY DAY THAT HE SET FOOT ON THIS CAMPUS, HE LOOKED UPON THE ATHLETIC FIELD OR TRACK AS A LABORATORY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHARACTER AND MORALS IN HIS ATHLETES.  HE ALWAYS INSISTED UPON GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP AND WINNING AND LOSING WITH CLASS.  HE WAS TRULY A TEACHER AND COACH OF LIFE’S SKILLS FOR HUNDREDS OF MC STUDENTS.  THANK YOU, MONK TOMLINSON FOR DEVOTING YOUR LIFE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR MANY CONTRIBUTIONS AS A TEACHER AND COACH AT MARYVILLE COLLEGE.