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Dan Monson has become the talk of the town after leading Long Beach State to March Madness this season. He coached the team to the Big West Tournament title only days after being fired by the program.
Monson will end his stint at Long State in the NCAA Tournament, depending on how far the program goes, even though he is no longer tied down to the team. His situation also permitted him to dodge some questions at Wednesday's press conference in Salt Lake City.
“Okay, I don’t have to answer anything I don’t want to because I’m working for free today,” Monson cheekily said in his opening remark.
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Although there have been rumors of Monson getting an unexpected reprieve at Long Beach following the team's remarkable Big Ten Tournament win, the coach will not return to the team next season.
Monson himself confirmed that the title triumph and a shot at the postseason would not change the school's decision. Furthermore, the coach is keen on taking up a new challenge.
Monson praised his players after Long Beach won three games on the trot to clinch the Big West championship. They beat the UC Davis Aggies 74-70 in the final.
“Something [last] week has given them is, somebody telling them that they have no chance of winning that tournament, and hopefully we can continue that momentum of banding together and not worrying about anybody else,” Monson said after the title game.
Dan Monson's Long Beach State will face Arizona Wildcats in first round of NCAA Tournament
Dan Monson's Long Beach State (21-14) will take on the No. 2 seed Arizona Wildcats (25-8) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. The game is set to tip off at 2 p.m. ET at Delta Center.
The Wildcats will enter the postseason following a 67-59 loss against Oregon in the Pac-12 semifinals.
The Long Beach vs. Arizona clash will be broadcast on TBS. Fans can live stream the contest on Fubo TV.
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