Long Beach State men’s basketball coach Dan Monson will step down after 17 years at the helm of the program following the postseason, the school announced Monday.
Long Beach (18-14 overall, 10-10 Big West) finished fourth in Big West Conference play and received a first-round bye for this week’s Big West tournament in Henderson, Nevada. LBSU, which has lost five consecutive games, will face either No. 5 seed UC Riverside or No. 8 seed Cal State Bakersfield in a quarterfinal game on Thursday at 8:30 p.m.
Monson leaves as the school’s winningest coach and has the fifth-most wins of any coach in the conference. With at least one more game to play, his teams have gone 272-272 overall. A four-time Big West Coach of the Year, Monson was twice named the NABC All-District 9 Coach and led Long Beach to four Big West regular-season titles.
“I want to personally thank Long Beach State for being an awesome place to raise a family and work a job I loved for 17 years,” Monson said in a statement released by the school. “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 for myself.”
Monson, who signed a five-year contract extension in 2018, guided LBSU to four NIT appearances as well as the 2012 NCAA tournament.
“As the all-time leader in career victories, (Coach Monson) has positively impacted countless student-athletes to strive athletically and academically, and he leaves our program in great shape to continue our pursuit for championships,” Long Beach State athletic director Bobby Smitheran said. “We wish the best for Dan, Darci, and the rest of his family as his coaching journey continues.”
Monson was named the Big West Coach of the Year for a fourth time in 2022 after leading a Long Beach State squad that was picked to finish eighth before the season to a Big West regular-season title, the 15th league title in program history.
During his time at LBSU, Monson had four Big West Player of the Year selections and 18 first-team All-Big West honorees. Point guard Casper Ware was a two-time AP All-American honorable mention in 2011 and 2012.
Monson arrived at Long Beach State after coaching at Gonzaga, where he led the Bulldogs to one NIT appearance and the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament in two seasons.
Long Beach will begin the search for a new head coach immediately.
“We are committed to finding the right person for the job – one that can harness the incredible energy of this community, build meaningful connections, and elevate this program to the next level,” Smitheran said. “We expect to have a strong pool of candidates.”