Dan Monson was hired as the 20th head coach in Eastern Washington men's basketball history on April 12, 2024. Monson has 27 years of Division I head coaching experience, with 445 wins, four NCAA Tournament appearances (1999, 2005, 2012, 2024), nine conference championships and four Coach of the Year awards. He has nine National Invitational appearances, winning seven games.
In his first season as Head Coach, Monson led the Eagles to a double-digit win season. Under his leadership, several Eagles had career seasons, with Emmett Marquardt, Nic McClain, and Mason Williams being notable standouts. Monson also led the team to several marquee road wins against Sacramento State and Weber State, the Weber win being a notable dominant performance 72-49.
Monson arrives in Cheney after serving as the head coach at Long Beach State, leaving as the program's all-time winningest coach with 275 wins. He led the team to the ‘24 NCAA Tournament after winning the Big West Tournament as the No. 4 seed. In his 17 seasons at Long Beach, Monson coached four Big West Player of Year winners and 18 First-Team All-Big West honorees. He led the Dirtbags to the 2011-12 NCAA Tournament and had four NIT appearances during his tenure.Â
Prior to Long Beach, Monson spent eight seasons as the head coach at Minnesota. In the 2004-05 season, the Gophers won 21 games and went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six seasons. He had 118 wins, advancing to the Big Ten tournament five times. Minnesota made four appearances in the NIT during Monson’s tenure, winning six games.
Monson is no stranger to Spokane County after coaching Gonzaga in the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons where he played a pivotal role in the start of the program’s current success. Led by Monson, the ‘Zags advanced to the 1999 Elite Eight, winning both the WCC regular season and conference tournament championships that season. Monsoon went 24-10 in his first season with the Bulldogs, advancing to the second round of the NIT after winning the regular season title. He was named WCC Coach of the Year in ‘98.
Along with coaching at the collegiate level, Monson was on the staff for two USA Basketball teams. Monson served on the 20-and-Under Word Championships in 2004 and the 1999 Men’s World University Games, winning gold medals at both events.
Monson started his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach for the University of Alabama-Birmingham, where he spent two seasons with the Blazers. He earned his master’s degree in education, emphasizing athletic administration from UAB in 1988. Monson earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Idaho in 1985.
Monson’s dad, Don, was the head coach for Idaho and led the Vandals to the Sweet 16 in the 1982 tournament. Idaho also qualified for the 1981 NCAA Tournament after winning the Big Sky championship. Don started his coaching career at Cheney High School in the 1950s.
Monson and his wife, Darci, have two daughters, Mollie and McKeena, and two sons MicGuire and Maddox.
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