Class act

Last week, Monson could have said he was and is the head coach at Long Beach State University (LBSU). “Was and is?” you ask. Well, this is where things get confusing.

Monson was fired on March 11 after 17 seasons at LBSU. But he still coached LBSU after he was given his pink slip.

Monson was what one would call a “lame duck” coach.

After his firing, the university agreed to let Monson stay at the helm for the conference tournament. That meant he was guaranteed one more game with his players.

Win that one, and he’d get a second game that could lead to a third. If his 18-14 team played its way into and won the Big West Championship, they would be rewarded a trip to the Big Dance.

Which is exactly what LBSU did.

On March 11, Monson let his players know he had received his walking papers. Upon hearing the news, they held a 30-minute private meeting. I am not privy to what they discussed. What I do know is the minute the LBSU basketball team left that locker room they took their play up about 20 notches.

Before their first practice leading up to the Big West Tournament, Monson told his guys: “Be different today.” And they were.

Five days after he found out he would be looking for another job, Monson led his team to an NCAA tournament berth by way of clenching the Big West Conference Championship.

Of his firing and the unusual turn of events that followed, Monson told reporters, “I don’t have to answer anything. I don’t want to because I’m working for free today.”

He compared his situation to an old “Seinfeld”episode when George was trying to get fired — unsuccessfully — so he was still going to work every day.

Monson said, “That’s me. I’m a ‘Seinfeld’ episode going on right now in real life.”

Dan Monson is no stranger to the coaching carousel. He’s the son of a coach who followed in his father’s footsteps. He coached Gonzaga before the school became a household basketball name, leading the Zags to the Elite Eight in his second season.

After that Elite Eight appearance, Minnesota lured him away. Monson said he turned the Golden Gophers down three times, but they kept upping the dollar signs.

He left Gonzaga in the good hands of his close friend and former assistant coach. You may have heard of the guy; his name is Mark Few. Still the head coach at Gonzaga, Few’s record is 714-142 with two appearances in the Final Four.

Here’s a bit of trivia: Mark Few’s dad is a Presbyterian minister. He officiated Dan and Darcie Monson’s wedding.

While in Salt Lake City preparing for LBSU’s first-round matchup with Arizona, Monson remained committed to his team and the task at hand, with an occasional injection of fun.

At one point, while watching film with his players, Monson drew their attention to an on-court mistake and said, “These are the kind of plays that get a coach fired.”

Last Thursday, Dan Monson coached his LBSU team one final time. Arizona won the game, but the LBSU players were far from defeated. They had gained a valuable life lesson in watching their coach persevere through a difficult time using a healthy balance of dedication, humor and grace.

That’s what I call a win.