Long Beach State reach NCAA tournament with lame-duck head coach

A college basketball coach has led his team to its first March Madness appearance in 12 years, days after he was fired for losing five straight games.

Long Beach State and its lame-duck coach Dan Monson will part ways after the 62-year-old finishes his 17th and final season with the team in April, as both sides agreed to a ‘mutual separation’ earlier this week.

Monson guided fourth-seeded LBSU back into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012 by defeating second-seeded UC Davis, 74-70, in the Big West title game in Henderson, Nev., on Saturday.

LBSU (20-14) had reached the Big West championship game with an 83-79 upset of top-seeded UC Irvine on Friday night.

“Being in it is one thing, winning it is another and we’re happy,” Monson told the Orange County Register after the win. ‘We feel like we deserve it, but we’re not done.

The 62-year-old will have won the Big West tournament in his final and 17th season as a manager

‘We didn’t come here to get to the championship game. We came here to go to the NCAA tournament.’

The Beach finished the regular season with five consecutive losses, prompting the team’s athletic department to make a head coaching change prior to the start of the Big West Championship. LBSU defeated UC Riverside to start its tournament run.

Monson holds the school record with 274 wins.

Monson led Long Beach State to its last NCAA Tournament appearance in 2012. LBSU has a 20-14 record

Earlier this week, Monson said, ‘I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished on and off the field, but it’s time for a new voice for the program.

‘I wish nothing but the best for a special university and a tremendous group of student athletes.’

Another win would make for an unusual but very happy ending. LBSU has never won an NCAA Tournament game (0-4 overall).

Overall, Monson is 444-395 in a 27-year coaching career that includes stints at Gonzaga and Minnesota.