Montanez completed her sixth season with the Gaels in 2024 after spending the three previous seasons under Sonja Garnett at ART U. Prior to the 2020 season, Montanez was promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach. Coach Montanez works as the Gaels primary hitting coach and infield coach.
2024 saw the Gaels win their first ever WCC Title, with Coach Montanez playing a major role in the Gaels success. Montanez helped develop true freshman Sam Buckley into one of the most dangerous hitters in the WCC, earning her conference freshman of the year honors. As a team, the Gaels hit 0.289, the best since 2012, and led the WCC is batting average, on-base percentage and scoring.
Montanez helped Saint Mary's win more conference games in her first season with the team than the previous two years combined. The Gaels finished fourth or better in the WCC standings for the first time since 2016 and picked up the most wins at home since 2013. During the 2021 season, the Gaels landed six players on the All-WCC team, the most in the program's history.
In 2018, Montanez helped lead the Urban Knights to tremendous success. Academy of Art notched the most wins in program history with 40 and broke school records in hits (457), runs (266), runs batted in (240) and earned run average (1.97) among others. Montanez also helped coach six All-Pacific West players from last season, one of which was freshman All-American Brooke Larsen.
Before coaching at Academy of Art, Montanez was an assistant coach at Cal State East Bay for two seasons after a four year playing career with the Pioneers. In addition, she worked in the equipment room at Cal State East Bay and coached the Salinas Force 12U, 14U and 16U teams for four years.
As a player, Montanez was a first baseman and designated hitter and had a tremendous career with the Pioneers. She is ranked in the program's all-time top-10 with 155 hits (6th), nine home runs (t-10th), and scored 77 times (10th).
She received her Masters of Arts in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University.
