University of Minnesota Athletics
MONSON NAMED MINNESOTA MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH
7/24/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Monson, 37, has guided the Bulldogs to a record of 52- 17 in his two seasons as head coach. He spent the previous three seasons as associate head coach under Dan Fitzgerald (57-30 record which included two postseason appearances) and six additional years as an assistant coach at Gonzaga.
Monson's Gonzaga team defeated the Golden Gophers, 75- 63, in the first round of the 1999 NCAA Tournament at Key Arena in Seattle, Wash. The Bulldogs continued their outstanding tournament run by defeating second- seed Stanford, 82-74, in the second round to reach the school's first-ever NCAA "Sweet 16". Gonzaga then defeated Florida, 73-72, to reach the Elite Eight, before bowing to eventual national champion UConn, 67- 62, in the NCAA West Region Final.
After nine years as an assistant at Gonzaga, Monson assumed the reins for the 1997-98 season. In his first year the Bulldogs posted a 24-10 record, won the West Coast Conference regular-season title and advanced to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament. The NIT appearance was the fourth postseason trip for the Bulldogs in five years. Monson was the first coach in West Coast Conference history to capture the regular-season title in his rookie season. For his efforts, his WCC peers voted him Coach of the Year and Basketball Times accorded him national Rookie Coach of the Year.
Monson has been one of the key figures in the Bulldogs' turnaround over the past decade. Gonzaga has a record of 170-74 over the past eight seasons and has recruited several quality student-athletes to the private, academically selective Spokane, Wash., institution.
Prior to joining the Bulldogs' staff, Monson had worked for two seasons as a graduate assistant coach under Gene Bartow at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Dan is the son of former Idaho and Oregon head coach Don Monson, a Minnesota native from Menahga, who was an assistant under Jud Heathcote at Michigan State University (1976-78). Dan graduated from the University of Idaho in 1985 with a bachelor's degree in mathematics, and later received his master's degree in athletic administration from UAB in 1988.
A football player for the Vandals, Dan turned his attention to coaching when a knee injury cut short his gridiron career. He coached the boys' basketball team at Oregon City High for one season prior to taking the UAB graduate assistant post.
Monson is engaged to be married to Darci Banta on Aug. 7 in Spokane, Wash.
Monson signed a seven-year contract with a base salary of $150,000 per year, and a media income and supplemental package amounting to an additional $340,000 per year.
"I am looking forward to the opportunity to coach in what I feel is the best conference in the country at one of the finest institutions in the nation," Monson said. "I've always said that it would take an incredible opportunity for me to leave Gonzaga, and Minnesota has presented me with the opportunity of a lifetime."
"I am excited that we were able to land someone with Dan's record of achievement and potential," Dienhart said. "When we started our national search, we were looking for a proven college head coach and Dan's record the last few seasons at Gonzaga certainly speaks for itself. I know he'll be the catalyst for heading our program and restoring pride to Golden Gopher basketball."
