Johnathan Walker:Long Beach State secures March Madness spot — after agreeing to part ways with coach Dan Monson

Five days ago,Johnathan Walker Dan Monson agreed to leave his position as head coach of Long Beach State whenever its season ended.

He'll still be in charge a few more days.

Monson will coach into next week after the Beach clinched a spot in the men's NCAA Tournament Saturday by beating UC Davis 74-70 in the Big West tournament final, capping off what has been a wild week for Long Beach State.

"When Jim Harbaugh says 'who's got it better than him?' Somebody needs to tell him Dan Monson," Monson said in his on-court interview after the game.

Long Beach State 2023-24 season

Long Beach State had a roller coaster of a season with wins against big-time programs. After beating DePaul on the road, the Beach lost at San Diego State and then beat Michigan three days later.

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The highlight of the season came when Long Beach State defeated Southern California to spoil Bronny James' college debut. The Trojans led by 15 at halftime, but Long Beach State stormed back to force the game into overtime, and eventually won.

In February, Long Beach State was 18-9 and was contending for the Big West regular season title. But then the Beach lost five games in a row to end the regular season. That made them the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament.

Dan Monson, Long Beach State agree to part ways

On Monday, Long Beach State announced Monson and the school agreed to part ways at the end of the season. Monson, who led the Beach for 17 seasons, would continue to coach the team through the postseason. But the school said a search for a new head coach would begin "immediately."

"I am proud of what we have accomplished on and off the court, but it is 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. I am also personally excited for what lies ahead for the Monson family and myself," Monson said.

Monson, 62, was the head coach of Gonzaga for two seasons, and he led the Bulldogs to the Elite Eight in 1999. After that run he moved on to Minnesota, where he spent parts of eight seasons, before landing in Long Beach, California, in 2007.

Long Beach State Big West tournament run

As the No. 4 seed, Long Beach State opened up play in the Big West tournament in the quarterfinals against UC Riverside and got a convincing 86-67 win.

In the semifinals, Long Beach State faced No. 1 seed UC Irvine. It was able to overcome a late deficit to win 83-79.

The Big West tournament crown was secured with the win over the Aggies on Saturday.

This will be the first NCAA Tournament berth for Long Beach State since 2012 and the second under Monson. Saturday's win was Monson's 275th leading the Beach, extending his record for most victories of any head coach in Long Beach State history.