Dan Monson, Lengthy Seaside State earn NCAA bid with Large West match title

For Dan Monson, it ain’t over but.

Six days after he was dismissed by the workforce, Monson led Lengthy Seaside State to the NCAA match with a 74-70 win over UC Davis on Saturday within the Large West match title recreation, including at the very least a couple of extra days to his tenure.

“God has blessed me with an incredible profession, and these children have been superior to educate,” Monson stated after the sport. “When [Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh] says, ‘Who has it higher than us?’ somebody wants to inform him, ‘Coach Monson [does].'”

On Monday, Lengthy Seaside State introduced it had “mutually” parted methods with Monson after 17 seasons, however the faculty agreed to permit him to educate the remainder of the marketing campaign. After LBSU misplaced 5 in a row getting into the Large West match, there have been few causes to consider the season would final for much longer for Monson and his crew.

However a run by the convention match now ensures that LBSU will hear its identify referred to as on Choice Sunday for the second NCAA match look of Monson’s tenure, amid unbelievable odds and distinctive circumstances.

Saturday’s win got here only a week after Lengthy Seaside State capped a five-game dropping streak with an 88-78 house loss to the Aggies.

“We had an up-and-down yr,” Monson stated. “And so they got here in right here and so they performed for one another.”

Coming into the Large West match, Lengthy Seaside State had been one of many worst 3-point taking pictures groups in America at 31.2% (309th within the nation). However the Seaside linked on 38% of their 3-point makes an attempt mixed in wins over UC Riverside, UC Irvine and UC Davis in a three-day stretch, and now Monson, who stated in a press release Monday that this system “wants a brand new voice,” will proceed teaching.

March is at all times a tricky time for coaches on the recent seat. A handful of coaches in males’s and ladies’s basketball have not too long ago been pressured to deal with their dismissals in information conferences. In different conditions, a struggling coach will generally announce at first of a season — or a faculty will announce on their behalf — that the upcoming season will likely be that coach’s closing marketing campaign.

LBSU’s transfer to announce Monson’s dismissal earlier than the convention match however nonetheless enable him to educate has change into much more weird now that Monson has truly beat the percentages and prolonged his season.

Regardless of LBSU’s announcement, Monson stated he hasn’t misplaced his ardour for teaching and is able to make his subsequent transfer.

“I do not assume that is my final yr,” he stated. “I really like teaching. … I would like a brand new problem. That is life. It is on to the following chapter.”

Sure, however simply not but.