The Long Beach State basketball program has had a month filled with March Madness. The 49ers parted ways with Head Coach Dan Monson. Yet, he continues to coach the team through the NCAA Tournament, with a game against Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona basketball squad. Monson delivered a hilarious jab to Lloyd in a meetup before their teams' matchup.
Dan Monson strikes Tommy Lloyd with timely comedy
Monson met Lloyd and his family along with Mark Few's family for dinner in Salt Lake City before Long Beach State and Arizona's basketball clash. Monson was unexpectedly late for dinner and Lloyd gave him a hard time for it. However, the 49ers coach hit Lloyd with this comical line:
“We were putting in the Princeton offense,” Monson joked, per Brian Pederson.
His joke was a reference to Arizona's upset 59-55 loss to Princeton in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Perhaps Long Beach State can replicate what the Tigers did for similar success in 2024.
The 49ers finished the 2023-24 season with an overall record of 21-14 after a late-season slump saw them lose six straight games. Nevertheless, Long Beach State had a stellar Big West Conference run. They advanced to the finals and beat UC Riverside 83-79 for the championship.
As a result, the 49ers earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament, where they will face off against the No. 2-seeded Wildcats. Long Beach State's postseason run has been impressive and gets more interesting when considering Dan Monson's tough position.
A true March Madness story
The Long Beach State athletic administration decided to part ways with Monson after the 49ers' treacherous late-season losing streak. However, Monson committed himself to coaching the team until their final game of the 2023-24 year. No one could have imagined what would happen next.
Monson helped lead the 49ers to their impressive conference victory and a No. 15 NCAA Tournament seed. The irony is Monson has helped the team find a new level of success despite being fired weeks prior. Of course, this prompted more comedic banter from the head coach.
Monson's journey is like a hit sitcom
He compared his life to that of a character from the hit sitcom “Seinfeld” while speaking to March Madness reporters.
“You guys ever see in Seinfeld where George Costanza 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,” Monson said, per The Sporting News.
Monson's banter did not stop there. He gave reporters another heavy-hitting comment during his NCAA opening remarks in Salt Lake City.
“Okay, I don't have to answer anything I don't want to because I'm working for free today,” Monson joked, as noted by Chuck Culpepper.
The 49ers coach is finding comfort in comedy. Monson has had a roller coaster journey but is cherishing the last few moments he has as the head coach of Long Beach State. He has been the winningest basketball coach in program history over his 17-year tenure.
Some speculate that Monson could remain with the 49ers if the team makes a deep run. Regardless, his time in Long Beach will forever be appreciated.
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