The Slipper Still Fits sat down with the former leader of the Gonzaga Bulldogs from 1997-99, the man who helped orchestrate the name of this website through that magical 1999 Elite Eight run.
Dan Monson is now the head coach of the Eastern Washington Eagles. The 2026-27 group in nearby Cheney, Washington, plays a stacked non-conference slate on the road at the Stanford Cardinals, Oregon Ducks, Oregon State Beavers, Utah Utes, UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, Loyola Marymount Lions, and Wyoming Cowboys. Plus,
a neutral-site game with the Washington State Cougars in the Spokane Arena for the 509 Classic on Dec. 22. It feels like Monson was taking a page right out of Gonzaga’s playbook to schedule heavily in the first half of the season.
He spoke about his recent trip to Springfield, Massachusetts, for Mark Few’s Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame induction, leaving Spokane, Washington, for the Minnesota Golden Gophers job, the current messy state of the NCAA, and learning from his dad, the late great Don Monson, in the Tri Cities.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
