Long Beach State claims NCAA Tournament berth with head coach who was fired 5 days prior

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Long Beach State’s journey to an NCAA Tournament bid truly puts the madness in March. 

The 49ers won the Big West Conference championship game over UC Davis on Saturday, 74-70, to go dancing this March. However, it was an odd tournament berth considering head coach Dan Monson was fired just five days prior. 

Long Beach State made the decision to move on from Monson, but opted for him to remain in place until the end of the season. The 49ers, at 18-14, went into the Big West Conference Tournament with a five-game losing streak, so the thought was they wouldn’t win it all to head into the NCAA Tournament. 

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Head coach Dan Monson of the Long Beach State 49ers holds up the net after the win against the UC Davis Aggies in the championship game of the Big West Conference men's basketball tournament at The Dollar Loan Center on March 16, 2024, in Henderson, Nevada. (Zak Krill/Getty Images)

That thought backfired, and now Monson will take his 49ers into the tournament hoping to play the Cinderella role every lower seed wants to be this time of year (teams will be seeded on Sunday). 

A statement was announced of Monson’s "mutual separation" with Long Beach State last week. 

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"I am proud of what we have accomplished on and off the court, but it is time for a new voice for the program," he said in the statement. "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