Fitz Has Cheered From Afar
It was Dan Fitzgerald who gave Dan Monson the opportunity to become a collegiate head coach.
And now that Monson, in two short years, has taken the Gonzaga University men’s basketball program to a nearly inconceivable level, his main regret is that Fitzgerald is no longer in a position to comfortably share in the success.
“I learned what is to be a coach from my dad, but I learned how to coach from Fitz,” said Monson.
“Every day there’s some of Fitz in practice. There’s some of Fitz in every game preparation. But all I can try to do is convey that to him as much as I can, because he really isn’t a part of it. I try to let him know how truly grateful I am for what he’s done for me and my career.”
Fitzgerald hired Monson as his assistant coach at Gonzaga in 1988. He promoted him to the position of associate head coach in 1995 and two years later - after getting assurance from university officials that Monson would be his successor - resigned to devote full attention to his duties as the Bulldogs athletic director.
But the plan began to collapse in July of 1997. Fitzgerald, who had been at Gonzaga for 18 years, was placed on administrative leave after university officials learned he had collected and spent money without the authorization of the school’s controller.
As Fitzgerald fought to save his job during the investigation that followed, the relationship between him and the university became strained. Threats were exchanged, feelings were hurt, and in the end Fitzgerald’s hope of returning to watch the coaches and players he cared so much about were shattered.
He has not attended a GU game since he stepped down as coach following the 1996-97 season, and Monson understands why.
“He’s in one of those situations, like a lot of people who have gone through a bitter divorce,” Monson said. “Do you want to go to her house and see the kids, or not?”
Fitzgerald, who now works for Buffalo Inc., a local shirt-making company, has decided not to - but not necessarily because of his bitter divorce from GU. Fitzgerald admitted there are “some guys with keys and some guys with collars” at the university he no longer prays for.
“But I pray for those coaches and players,” he said. “I am with those guys, and I really mean that.
“It’s been hard to stay away. My kid graduated from there. I have tremendous respect for some of the people there, and, obviously, for some people I don’t. But I’ve stayed away because I didn’t want the focus to be on me.”
Fitzgerald said he listens to GU games on the radio and catches them on TV when possible.
“I die with every call,” he said.
But he takes pride in knowing he helped Monson get to where he is, despite the doubts of some administrators who wanted to launch a national search to fill the post he vacated.
“Dan has a chance to go really far in the profession for all kinds of reasons,” Fitzgerald said. “One of the best is that he’s good for kids.
“If there’s anything to be learned from it, it’s that national searches should begin at home.”