Long Beach State AD Says Dan Monson Was Fired to Help Inspire NCAA Tournament Run

Long Beach State athletic director Bobby Smitheran had a very specific reason for firing men's basketball head coach Dan Monson last week ahead of the team's NCAA Tournament selection.

"My belief and hope is that by doing what I did and the timing of it, they would play inspired, and that's what they did," Smitheran told The Associated Press on Thursday (h/t ESPN). "I'm not trying to pat myself on the back, but it worked."

Monson was fired by Long Beach State on March 11, five days before leading the program into the NCAA Tournament.

While Monson was fired, he's continuing to coach the 49ers through the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

After he was fired, the team went on to win the Big West tournament and earn an unexpected berth in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 15 seed. Monson joked earlier this week that he's now "working for free."

"Did you see the 'Seinfeld' when George was trying to get fired and couldn't lose his job, still going to work every day? That's me," Monson told reporters. "I'm a 'Seinfeld' episode going on right now in real life."

Long Beach State will now face its toughest challenge of the season against No. 2-seeded Arizona on Thursday. The Wildcats are hoping to win the NCAA title behind a talented roster highlighted by Caleb Love, Oumar Ballo, Pelle Larsson and Keshad Johnson.

This marks the first NCAA Tournament appearance for Long Beach State since 2012. With little expectation for the 49ers to advance, they could upset a Wildcats team facing pressure to bring home a championship.

Monson has been head coach of Long Beach State since 2007. The program is 275-272 in his 17 seasons at the helm.

Prior to joining the 49ers, he served as head coach of Gonzaga from 1997 to 1999 and Minnesota from 1999 to 2007.