LBSU's Dan Monson, fired but coaching, reflects on 'surreal' week - ESPN

SALT LAKE CITY — As Dan Monson was sitting down for his pre-NCAA tournament news conference Wednesday deep inside the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, he couldn't help but make light of his situation: getting fired on March 11 and then leading Long Beach State to the NCAA tournament five days later.

«I don't have to answer anything I don't want to because I'm working for free today,» Monson quipped. «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. I'm a 'Seinfeld' episode going on right now in real life.»

With the jokes out of the way, Monson, 62, then peeled back the curtain on the emotions of the past nine days.

He said it's been «surreal» and that it feels like he's in the «twilight zone» as he's navigated the ups and downs. However, to Monson, the experience of telling his players he was fired, regrouping ahead of the Big West tournament, going to Las Vegas and winning it, and then being in Salt Lake City has been «worth every job I've ever had, to have the experiences I've had this week with my players, with my family, spiritually, everything.»

Monson, who experienced a firing when Minnesota let him go in 2006, didn't want to go as far as thanking Long Beach State for firing him, but he has tried to make the most out of an odd situation.

«I think life is life,» Monson said. «Some of it is good and some of it is bad. How you pivot through it defines who you are. I'm hoping that people look at me and say, 'Hey, he had a great job. What are we feeling sorry for him for? He had 17 years driving that car. It was a great ride.'

»I knew the car was leased. I mean, they wanted the keys back. It's not insured this week but I still get to drive