INDIANAPOLIS — Veteran athletic administrator and former WNBA standout Monica Maxwell has been appointed to lead sports programs at Arsenal Technical High School.
Maxwell is entering her 11th year as an athletic administrator, most recently finishing a seven-year stint at her alma mater, East Chicago Central High School, in northwest Indiana. She succeeds Mosi Barnes, who recently assumed the role of athletic director at Lawrence Central High School.
“I am both honored and excited to become the next Athletic Director at Arsenal Tech High School,” Maxwell said “I have prayed many nights for God to place me where I could be used and have a positive impact on student-athletes.
“In my opinion, the importance of high school athletics in today’s world is imperative in helping to address the mental health crisis and encouraging students to demonstrate more accountability, self-discipline, and confidence among other leadership skills.”
Arsenal Technical Principal Coyle Franklin said Maxwell brings a perfect combination of experience and enthusiasm to her new post.
“Ms. Maxwell brings high quality leadership to Arsenal Tech and the athletic department,” he said. “Her career has been filled with experiences in various settings and organizations that should ensure great success here.”
Maxwell earned her bachelor’s degree in computer information systems in 1999 from Louisiana Tech University. She earned master’s degrees in physical education/athletic administration from Indiana University, and a master’s in business administration (MBA) from the University of Dayton.
Maxwell was a standout basketball player at Louisiana Tech University, earning trips to the 1998 and 1999 NCAA women’s Final Fours with the Lady Techsters and then playing for the national championship in 1998. After college, she played four years in the WNBA, spending her rookie campaign with the Washington Mystics before finishing her career with the Indiana Fever.
In addition to being a high school athletic administrator, Maxwell is a former high school coach at Pike High School and a basketball coach at Tulane University and California State University-Northridge.
Arsenal Tech, 1500 E. Michigan St. on the east side, opened as a public high school in 1912. The campus is a former Civil Way arsenal, and many of the buildings retain historic features. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Arsenal is the largest high school in the IPS district.
