Monica Mesalles Nassi enters her eighth season as head women’s gymnastics coach at Rhode Island College. She spent the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at RIC.
in 2024-25, she guided the Anchorwomen to the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) National Championship as a team for the first time in 27 years and finished fifth in the nation. Fifth-year Olivia Keyes earned All-American honors on floor, beam and in the all-around, as well as earning her second straight NCGA East Region Gymnast of the Year award. It brought her career total to nine All-American honors (four all-around; three floor; two beam). Fifth-year Emma Tucker (floor) and freshman Aaliyah Krause (all-around) also earned All-American honors. Krause was also tabbed the East Region Rookie of the Year.
She led RIC to a third place finish at the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) East Region Championship in 2024, narrowly missing qualifying for the NCGA National Championship. The Anchorwomen had three gymnasts qualify for the Nationals, with fifth-year Kelsey Gates and junior Olivia earning All-American honors on both floor and the all-around, while senior Emma Tucker was an All-American on vault. Keyes was named both the NCGA Senior Athlete of the Year and the East Region Gymnast of the Year and joined Gates as a Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) All-American. Nassi led the Anchorwomen to the program's highest single-season scores on vault, bars, floor and team score over the course of the season.
The Anchorwomen finished fourth at the NCGA East Region Championship in 2023 and sent four gymnasts to the NCGA National Championship. Senior Kelsey Gates captured the National Title on floor to earn All-American honors and junior Oliva Keyes took home All-American honors in the all-around.
Nassi helped the program make tremendous strides during the 2021-22 season. RIC posted the program's highest-ever team score, while also establishing single-meet records for highest team score on bars, beam and floor. Junior Kelsey Gates and sophomore Olivia Keyes each earned multiple National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) All-American honors. Nassi was named the NCGA National Coach of the Year and the NCGA East Region Coach of the Year.
Nassi and the Anchorwomen made the most of a very difficult situation during the 2020-21 campaign. RIC practiced as a team for much of the year and held the annual Maroon and Gold Exhibition match, while many programs were shut down.
Nassi saw one gymnast earn NCGA All-American honors in the all-around, for the second consecutive season, in 2019-20. After completing the regular season, the Anchorwomen were not able to compete at the NCGA East Region Championship due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
In her first season at the helm in 2018-19, Nassi was named the NCGA East Region Coach of the Year. She helped the Anchorwomen post the program's best-ever team score, as well as program high point totals on vault, beam, bars and floor. Nassi had two gymnasts earn all-around East Region honors and qualify for the NCGA National Championship. She also helped one gymnast earn NCGA All-American honors, the first for RIC in 18 years.
Nassi was named the NCGA East Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2016.
Nassi joined the staff following a successful collegiate career at the University of Bridgeport, an NCAA Division II gymnastics powerhouse. A four-year competitor for the Purple Knights, Nassi earned USAG National Championship honors seven times during her career, including three straight titles on floor. A three-time captain, she was a member of four straight USAG National Championship squads.
She was inducted into Bridgeport's Athletic Hall of Fame as an individual in 2017 and into the Purple Knights' Team Hall of Fame in 2018.
Prior to her time at Bridgeport, Nassi was a member of the Spanish National Team that finished fifth at both the 2004 Olympics in Athens and the 2003 World Championships in Anaheim. She also earned the floor title and placed fifth on beam at the 2005 World Cup in Germany. Nassi was also a six-time champion at the Spanish National Championships.
Nassi is a 2013 graduate of the University of Bridgeport where she earned a bachelor’s degree in International Business with a minor in finance. She resides in North Providence with her husband Matthew and their two children.
