This past fall marked Dayna Moneta’s third season on the College’s football coaching staff, and her first as running backs coach. Despite the new role, she has continued her professional football career in the Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC).
After growing up on Long Island, N.Y., in a sports-loving household, Moneta earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from SUNY Cortland in 2011, where she spent four years playing goalkeeper for the varsity soccer team. Before coming to the College, she spent roughly a decade working at high schools within the Lehman Educational Campus in the Bronx, first as a varsity soccer and lacrosse coach, then as a physical education teacher, dean, and athletic director. She later got her master’s in sports coaching from West Virginia University in 2022.
Moneta’s introduction to football came unexpectedly, when a women’s professional tackle football team began practicing on the fields at Lehman. “I always say football found me,” she said. “I went out to the field, introduced myself, and started as a kicker because of my soccer background. Then I moved to the offensive line, and I haven’t missed a season since.”
Across her 14 seasons of professional football, Moneta was named 2017 Offensive Lineman of the Year and won the Div. II Women’s Football Alliance National Championships with the New York Sharks in 2018, and again in 2023, at which point the team had rebranded to the New York Wolves. Moneta currently plays center for the Jersey Shore Wave in the WNFC.
As she continued professional play, Moneta began envisioning a future in college football coaching. “I always wanted to go back to college athletics and be a part of it,” she said. “As I started to get into the game of football, that was the route I wanted to take.”
That opportunity arose in 2023, when Moneta was selected for the NCAA Ethnic Minorities and Women’s Internship Grant, a two-year program that gives funding to Div. III athletic departments to hire and develop coaches. The grant brought Moneta to the College as an athletic assistant and as an assistant offensive line coach for the football team.
Having never played college football, Moneta faced a steep learning curve. “Playing in the Women’s League allowed me to learn the foundation, but I had to really sit and learn how to learn the game at a higher level without playing it,” she said. “Sometimes it’s still a little bit of a challenge. It takes a lot of film, watching the game broken down, and listening to every conversation to just pick up on bits of knowledge.”
When the two-year grant period concluded, Moneta briefly left campus in summer 2025, uncertain about her future in coaching. She applied for a full-time position and was hired as the team’s full-time running backs coach in August 2025.
According to head coach Mark Raymond, her role extends beyond that title. “Technically, she’s a running backs coach, but her responsibilities have grown way past that,” he said. “She has a great skill set, she’s a hard worker, and with that comes more responsibility.”
Moneta’s coaching philosophy, shaped by years as a professional player and by observing a range of coaching styles, also centers on relationships. “At the end of the day, coaching is about people,” she said. “If you spend the time to get to know the people … you’ll be respected on and off the field.”
She further credits every coach on the staff for supporting her growth. “I’ve learned a lot from everybody on staff… It’s been nothing short of great, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity that they provided me,” she said. “Each coach brings their part to the table to make Saturday go as smoothly as possible.”
Beyond coaching, Moneta assists with the team’s recruiting and athletic operations. Running back Matthew Bott ’28 highlighted her behind-the-scenes contributions. “She organizes more of the technology part on the recording side,” Bott said. “She is the backbone of keeping the plays organized and practiced for the film, so we know what’s happening.”
For running back Jon Oris ’26, Moneta’s energy and support have made her a trusted presence on the staff. “Immediately when she got here, everyone loved her,” he said. “She’s so outgoing, so energetic, and ready to do whatever she needs to do to make your life better.”
The team’s appreciation for her work has been central in Moneta’s decision to remain at the College. “A few of our guys actually bought one of my replica jerseys this year,” she said. “They’ve been really supportive. It’s cool to see the guys embracing the women’s game.”
While Moneta views her role at the College as a valuable stepping stone for the future, she remains focused on the present — especially with new rules allowing NESCAC football teams to compete in the NCAA Div. III postseason starting in 2026. “My ultimate long-term goal is to be a head football coach,” she said. “Right now, my goal is to win a national championship with Williams, because we have the opportunity to do that now, and that’s all the focus is for the 2026 season.”
Ben Niewoehner contributed reporting.
