‘Stunned and hurt’: Unexpected death of Hilton Head athletic director, coach rocks community
Hilton Head father, husband, athletic director, coach, and fishing enthusiast Joe Monmonier died Wednesday, Hilton Head Island High School announced on their Facebook page.
In the statement posted Thursday, Hilton Head Island High School Principal Steve Schidrich praised Monmonier’s commitment to athletic excellence. “Joe was more than an athletic director—he was a true champion for our Seahawk community,” Schidrich wrote. “His impact on generations of students, athletes, and colleagues will be remembered for years to come.”
Monmonier served as Hilton Head Island High School’s Athletic Director for the past 13 years and a boys lacrosse coach there earlier in his career.
From lacrosse coach to athletic director
The longtime coach has been at HHIHS since August 2006, starting out as a special education teacher and lacrosse coach.
That was around the time retired Beaufort High Athletic Director Jerry Lin remembers meeting Monmonier for the first time.
“He was overwhelmed with the job,” Lin recalled. But he wasn’t afraid to ask other athletic directors in the area countless countless questions when he didn’t know what to do.
After spending six years building the lacrosse program, Monmonier said goodbye to his players as he stepped into his new role as Athletic Director.
Lin said his colleague of nearly 20 years was a “hard worker,” putting in the long hours managing the Seahawks while serving on the board of the South Carolina Athletic Administrators Association. At one point, he was the association’s president. He was also an active member of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.
Lin said he was “stunned and hurt” by the news of Monmonier’s passing. “I’m still trying to get a grip on it,” he said. “He’s one of my best friends ... I’m going to miss him.”
Respected by his peers, coaches and colleagues
Monminier received multiple awards from the SCAAA, and was nominated earlier this year for the NIAAA Bruce D. Whitehead Distinguished Service Award.
In 2017, The Island Packet reported Monmonier won the Region 8-AAA’s top AD for the second time in three years. Then Principal Amanda O’Nan said of him, “He walks the walk ... He sets a wonderful example for our kids, and he pushes our coaches not only to coach with passion, but also to focus on guiding student athletes along the right path to becoming outstanding young men and women.”
Monmonier is survived by his wife Kim and daughters Ava and Caroline. According to a 2010 story in Bluffton Today, Kim and Joe’s caring and generosity extended far beyond the Lowcountry as they traveled to Kazakhstan to adopt then baby Caroline.
Counseling for students and staff will be available on campus on Monday. A celebration of life is planned at the HHIHS football field on Monday, July 14 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
This story was originally published July 11, 2025 at 8:00 AM.
