In 2013, Monte Lee enters his fifth season as head coach at the College of Charleston. Lee, a former College of Charleston standout and South Carolina assistant coach, was named the Cougars' head coach on July 3, 2008.

In this past offseason, Lee was named one of Baseball America's Top 10 Head Coaches Under 40 in all of college baseball. He was also named to Perfect Game's Top 10 Rising Head Coaches list.

Lee joined the Cougars after spending the six seasons as an assistant at South Carolina under head coach Ray Tanner. He served as the Gamecocks' recruiting coordinator in his last season.

In his four seasons at CofC, Lee has posted a record of 156-85 with two trips to the NCAA Tournament and a Southern Conference regular season championship in 2012. He has coached three SoCon Players of the Year, one SoCon Pitcher of the Year and one SoCon Freshman of the Year. In his tenure, 17 different players have been drafted or signed free agent contracts, and seven different players were All-Americans.

In 2012, College of Charleston won a share of the regular season SoCon title and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, playing in the Gainesville Regional. CofC finished 38-22 with wins over then-no. 8 South Carolina, Clemson and Coastal Carolina. The Cougars won the SoCon Player of the Year (Marty Gantt) and SoCon Pitcher of the Year (Christian Powell) together for the first time in school history. Gantt was named a ACBA Second Team All-American and Louisville Slugger Third Team All-American. The Cougars ranked fifth in the nation in home runs for the fourth consecutive season under Lee.

In 2011, College of Charleston went 39-22 and advanced to the semifinals of the Southern Conference Tournament. Standout freshman Daniel Aldrich and junior Matt Leeds both garnered significant national recognition. Aldrich was named Collegiate Baseball's National Freshman of the Year and NCBWA Freshman Player of the Year. He also garnered All-America honors from Louisville Slugger, NCBWA, ABCA/Rawlings, Baseball America and the CBI. Aldrich won the 2011 TD Ameritrade Home Run Derby. Leeds was an All-America honoree from Louisville Slugger, NCBWA, Baseball America and the CBI. Leeds also was a Capital Academic All-America First Team honoree.

In his second year at the helm of the Cougars' program, Lee led the Cougars to a 44-19 record and an appearance in the 2010 NCAA Myrtle Beach Regional final. It was the fourth time in program history that the Cougars tallied at least 40 wins in a single season. The Cougars placed in the top 10 of NCAA Division I rankings in home runs (5th), scoring (7th), runs (8th) and doubles (9th). The team's .698 winning percentage was also good for 16th in the country.

Lee led the Cougars to a 35-22 record in 2009, the school's sixth consecutive season of at least 35 wins. The Cougars ranked third in home runs, fourth in the nation in scoring, fourth in slugging percentage, fifth in doubles, ninth in batting average and second in sacrifice flies.

Lee played in 206 games during his career at College of Charleston from 1996 to 1999 before being the first position player drafted in school history by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 39th round of the 1999 MLB Draft. Lee, who earned all-district academic honors in 1999, hit .333 for his career. He tallied 240 career hits, scored 156 runs, added 50 doubles, six triples, 22 homers, 150 RBI with 88 walks and 66 stolen bases.

Lee ranks sixth on the school's all-time list for RBI, seventh in doubles, sixth in total bases, seventh in at bats, and eighth in games played. In the Fall of 2004, Lee was inducted as an inaugural member of the College of Charleston's Baseball Wall of Fame at Patriots Point Stadium.

Lee is one of just five Cougars to hit three homers in a game. Lee homered three times and drove in all of the College of Charleston runs in a 5-4 loss at South Carolina on Feb. 6, 1999.

After being selected by the Cardinals, Lee played with the New Jersey Cardinals in the New York-Penn League in 1999. He signed as a free agent with the Texas Rangers the following year (2000) and played at Savannah of the South Atlantic League.

Lee earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from the College of Charleston in 2000.

Lee began his coaching career as an assistant for two seasons, 2001-02, at Spartanburg Methodist Junior College. The 2001 Spartanburg Methodist club reached the NJCAA College World Series and the 2002 team set a school record with 51 wins. During summers of those two years he also worked with the South Carolina Diamond Devils AAU team, as an assistant in 2001 and as head coach in 2002.

Born Monte Wesley Lee II, Feb. 9, 1977, in Spartanburg, S.C., Lee graduated from Lugoff-Elgin High School in 1995. He was a four-year baseball letterman in high school and also played football for two seasons.

Lee is married to Eryn Garn Lee, and between them they have 4 daughters: Madie, Shelby, Blaire, and Alexandria.

College of Charleston Head Coach
2012, 38-22 (National rankings: 5 HR) NCAA Gainesville Regional, SoCon Regular Season Champions
2011, 39-22 (National rankings: 2nd HR, 8th scoring, 4th slugging percentage, 7th walks, 6th SF)
2010, 44-19 (National rankings: 5th HR, 7th scoring, 8th runs, 9th doubles, 14th BB, 16th W/L Pct.) NCAA Myrtle Beach Regional
2009, 35-22 (National rankings: 3rd HR, 4th scoring, 4th slugging percentage, 5th doubles, 9th average, 2nd SF)
Totals, 156-85, .647

South Carolina's Record During Lee's Tenure as an assistant coach
2008, 40-23 (NCAA Regional)
2007, 46-20 (NCAA Regional, NCAA Super Regional)
2006, 41-25 (NCAA Regional, NCAA Super Regional)
2005, 41-23 (NCAA Regional)
2004, 53-17 (NCAA Regional, NCAA Super Regional, College World Series)
2003, 45-22 (NCAA Regional, NCAA Super Regional, College World Series)
Totals, 266-130 (6 NCAA Regionals, 4 NCAA Super Regionals, 2 College World Series)

The Monte Lee File
Born: Monte Wesley Lee, Feb., 9, 1977 at Spartanburg, S.C.
High School Education: Lugoff-Elgin HS, Lugoff, S.C. (1995)
College Education: College of Charleston (2000)
Coaching Career:
Assistant Coach, Spartanburg Methodist JC (2001-02);
Assistant Coach South Carolina Diamond Devils (AAU, 2001);
Head Coach South Carolina Diamond Devils (AAU, 2001);
Assistant Coach, University of South Carolina (2002-08);
Head Coach, College of Charleston (2009-present)