Long Beach State AD credits no one but himself for tournament run after firing coach
On March 11, Long Beach State announced it was firing head coach Dan Monson. But Monson would be allowed to coach the rest of his 17th season as coach, and it seemed sure to be a short stay in the Big West Tournament after losing five straight to end the regular season.
Then Long Beach went ahead and won the conference tournament and the automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament that comes with it. It's the first trip the tournament since 2012, and as the No. 15 seed in the West Region they'll take on the No. 2 seed Arizona Wildcats on Thursday afternoon.
Monson had an interesting press conference in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, making light of his unique situation right off the bat.
"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."
Long Beach State AD takes all the credit for NCAA Tournament run
Long Beach State is an automatic heavy underdog against Arizona, so they are likely to be one-and-done in the tournament and Monson's tenure will officially be over. Knowing their coach's situation, it'd be natural for the players to have had a little extra inspiration.
Credit for the improbable run through the conference tournament to get into the Big Dance should go to those players and Monson in equal measure.
Don't tell that to athletic director Bobby Smitheran though. Here's what he said in a statement to the AP hours before the game against Arizona.
"My belief and hope is that by doing what I did and the timing of it, they would play inspired, and that's what they did," Bobby Smitheran told The Associated Press on Thursday, a few hours before the Beach tipped off against Arizona. "I'm not trying to pat myself on the back, but it worked."
"I'm not trying to pay myself on the back..."
It sure feels like that's exactly what Smitheran did. Monson has not gone against the idea he suggested a coaching change should happen, as Smitheran also said Thursday (of the firing), "This was something Coach Monson brought to me."
Still, Smitheran wants to take all the credit for inspiring Long Beach State's run to the NCAA Tournament. Getting right down to it, his arrogance and audacity aside, he's just flat-out wrong.
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