Long Beach State HC drops unique Jim Harbaugh reference as crew earns NCAA bid with Big West Tournament title: "Somebody needs to tell him Dan Monson"

Recently dismissed coach Dan Monson led the Long Beach State 49ers to a 74-70 win against the UC Davis Aggies in the Big West championship game to earn an NCAA Tournament ticket.

During his postgame news conference, Monson dropped a unique Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh reference and expressed happiness with his team's accomplishment.

"God has blessed me with a great career, and these kids have been awesome to coach," Monson said. "When coach Jim Harbaugh says, 'Who has it better than us?' somebody needs to tell him, 'Coach Monson [does].'"

"We had an up-and-down year," Monson added. "And they came in here and they played for each other."

The 49ers had been on a five-game losing streak before they entered the Big West tournament and Dan Monson was dismissed from his job after 17 years. He was allowed to finish the season as coach of the team.

During his postgame news conference, Monson refuted claims that he would retire after the NCAA Tournament.

"I don't think this is my last year," he said. "I love coaching. ... I need a new challenge. That's life. It's on to the next chapter."

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Long Beach State rallies for Dan Monson

The Long Beach State 49ers' five-game losing streak led to Dan Monson being fired before they flipped their form and won three consecutive games at the Big West Tournament to earn an unlikely ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

Long Beach State forward Aboubacar Traore revealed that the team played for the former Gonzaga Bulldogs coach during that second-half comeback.

“We were trying to have our coaches back. No matter what we were going We didn’t want him to leave without anything,” A. Traore said. “We wanted to get coach Monson a championship. That was our main thing. He’s been a great mentor and leader for us.”

Dan Monson summarized the character of his team that led to the second-half comeback.

“What a privilege to have a team that has that kind of character that struggled all year to be consistent, and all year struggled defensively, To be able to figure out a way to win three straight games," Monson said. "That’s what March is about. I don’t think it’s really explainable. That’s probably a question for them as to why it clicked. It was just really gratifying to see it click.”

The 49ers will be waiting for their March Madness fate with Dan Monson still at the helm on Selection Sunday.