By Long Beach State men’s basketball head coach Dan Monson announced Wednesday that former LBSU assistant and longtime Division I head coach Bobby Braswell, has returned to fill in the assistant coach position.
“It feels really good, it’s exciting for me to have this opportunity and to get back [to] where it all started for me,” Braswell said.
In addition, assistant coach Myke Scholl has been promoted to associate head coach and former graduate manager Jerry Woods has been named the new Director of Basketball Operations replacing Nick Plosser.
Braswell was an assistant at Long Beach State from 1989-1992 under head coaches Joe Harrington and Seth Greenberg. He played a major role in revitalizing the men’s basketball program before moving to Oregon where he spent four years as an assistant coach.
Following that, he was able to land a head coaching job at Cal State Northridge. In his 17-year tenure with the Matadors, Braswell was named three-time conference Coach of the Year and made two trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2001 and 2009.
“Coach Monson has asked me to come in and be a jack of all trades for him,” Braswell said. “Being a former head coach and being an assistant really gives you a great perspective so I know exactly what a head coach needs.”
Something Monson took into consideration when hiring Braswell was the program’s need to become a defensive presence.
“We want to establish ourselves on the defensive side of the floor this year,” Braswell said. “Whatever is necessary to do that we’re going to do, it’s going to be an emphasis.”
The new staff will meet in the next few weeks to discuss goals in the upcoming season.
“I am excited to announce the completion of our staff for the upcoming season,” Dan Monson said via LBSU Athletics. “I am confident that this staff will recruit and develop student athletes to represent the Beach in a first class manner as well as leading Beach Basketball back to the top of the Big West Conference.”
Long Beach had a fairly disappointing 15-18 season last year, but looks to reshape itself before heading into the 2018-2019 campaign.
Sure do miss the glory days of years past…
Never could understand why or how Long Beach St. would run 49er great “Ed Ratliff” out of the B Ball program as a coach. Smells like politics one one kind or another.
Thanks aunty Ran! xoxoxo