Long Beach State Men’s Basketball Coach Dan Monson Signs Contract Extension

Long Beach State announced today that men’s basketball coach Dan Monson has signed a five-year contract extension.

“Coach Monson is committed to returning our program to the top of the Big West Conference,” LBSU athletics director Andy Fee said in an official release. “I believe we are not far from that goal. I am committed to supporting Coach Monson and this team in our championship pursuits. We are very excited for next year’s recruiting class to arrive on campus and join ten returning student-athletes for what we believe will be a very strong season. Our program is in good hands with Coach Dan Monson guiding its direction”

Next season, which would’ve been the last of his existing contract, will be the 12th at LBSU for Monson. He has the most wins in school history (185-177) and has led the 49ers to three regular-season conference titles, one Big West Tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2012 and three NIT appearances.

LBSU has reached the Big West championship game once since winning it in 2012. The 49ers are 5-6 in the conference tournament since then with five semifinal appearances while seven different schools have gone won the title.

In 2017, an injury-riddled season was followed by most of the returning starting lineup transferring out of school. This season, a rebuilt roster struggled through an inconsistent campaign that ended with a historic first-round loss to CSU Fullerton in the Big West Conference Tournament.

“Things are going to change,” Fee said in a video released by LBSU. “Administratively we’re putting together a 21-point metric that we’ll use to asses this program, and make sure we focus and stay on course.”

Monson, 56, has been named Big West Coach of the Year three times.

“The contract says to me that I’m working for the right people at the right place,” Monson said in a video announcement. “This job has been a stepping stone in the past, but it’s a destination for me and my family.”

“It’s not a ‘win at all costs’ situation here,” Monson added. “This contract is almost like starting again. Let’s build with some student-athletes that want to be here for the long term. There will be over 800 (college basketball transfers this year) and certainly a good transfer can supplement your program, but we don’t need three or four of them. We don’t need to panic here, we need to develop.”

Monson signed a five-year extension in 2014, and that contract was widely reported on because of the way he got paid. Some of the money made by playing elite schools on the road, or “buy-games”, went to Monson and his staff. That’s how former LBSU athletics director Vic Ceglas was able to afford Monson. Three years ago, the Los Angeles Times reported that his base salary is $341,562 with incentives and a retention bonus of about $110,000, making him the highest paid coach in the Big West.

According to the announcement release, Monson’s new five-year deal has a financial savings of at least 40% annually for LBSU. Most of the money has been moved to “base compensation with non-base compensation emphasizing performance-driven incentives.”

The statement also mentions a deliberate scheduling philosophy that is more balanced with more home-and-home series scheduled, and fewer “buy games” against elite programs on the road.

Andy Fee Announcement: