Mandy Montoya enters her second season as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Northern New Mexico College after leading the Lady Eagles to a runner-up finish in the CAL PAC Conference during her inaugural season.
With a full recruiting cycle now complete, Montoya has assembled one of the program’s strongest recruiting classes, bringing in six talented student-athletes from across New Mexico. She is excited to continue building the program and competing for a CAL PAC Conference championship.
Montoya previously served as the Associate Head Coach for Northern New Mexico College from 2015–2019. During that time, she helped guide the team to two Association of Independent Institutions Conference Tournament appearances, led player development, served as the head coach of the development team, and was the program’s lead recruiter.
A native of Northern New Mexico and graduate of Coronado High School, Montoya competed with a relentless intensity that helped lead the Lady Leopards to their only girls’ basketball state championship in 2003. She later made history as the Head Girls Basketball Coach at Peñasco Independent School District by guiding the Lady Panthers to their first-ever girls’ basketball state championship in 2024. Montoya is among a rare and elite group of individuals to win a state championship as both a player and a head coach. She also earned her 100th varsity coaching victory during the 2024–25 season.
Montoya earned her bachelor’s degree in History from New Mexico Highlands University and her Master of Arts in Educational Administration from Eastern New Mexico University. With 13 years of experience in education, she has dedicated her career to developing student-athletes both in the classroom and on the court. She has also served as an Athletic Director and was elected to represent Small School Area A on the New Mexico Activities Association Commission. During her tenure at Peñasco, she led the Lady Panthers to a Final Four appearance, two state championship game appearances, and the program’s first state championship.
As she enters year two at the helm, Montoya looks forward to building on last season’s success, developing a championship culture, and continuing to elevate Northern New Mexico College Women’s Basketball both on and off the court.
