I think the administrative hostility towards men's intercollegiate athletics at Cal is a bigtime disincentive for any coach. Why sign on to coach at a school where some academics wear their hatred for athletics like a badge of honor? These people are everywhere in the woodwork at Cal and they will do their best to gum up and slow down whatever efforts are necessary to make Cal a PAC-12 power in basketball. Like Randy Bennett says: "I wouldn't touch the Cal job with a 39-and-a-half foot long pole". Are you listening Tim Miles? People think the job at SJS is tough. It's nothing compared to the institutional headwinds ANY coach will face at Cal. Think about it - is Mark Fox a terrible coach? How did a guy go from being so successful at a very good G5 program like Nevada to become a schmuck at a P5 bottom-feeder like Cal? A: It's all in the admin support from the school. You could bring John Wooden back and put him in charge of Cal and he'd struggle to win half of his games. Change Cal's athletic culture to be exactly the same as UCLA or UCSB and only then will you have a chance of being successful at Berkeley.
Becky Hammon??? Tara Vanderveer??? Look, I know it's Berkeley and we're always trying to 'out-woke' everybody, but are you guys serious? Or did you put that in for comic relief?
Why on earth did you not include Coach Alex Pribble on this list. He is good. Former Cal Player and asst coach and grew up in Bay Area where his family still resides.
I know Tim Miles doesn't inspire much enthusiasm around here but he basically just bounced Steve Alford from the bubble this year. If that's not a point in his favor I don't know what is.
What about Brian Shaw...from the Town, went to O'Dowd and would be able to recruit at a high level, esp. the local kids. Not sure what he's making as an assistant with the Clippers and his desire to coach at the college level...but worth exploring.
Good and interesting write-up. It would seem there's a broad array of choices. It would seem we can only go up from here, but I hope we don't settle for a .500 ceiling, just to get the taste of this season out of our mouths.
The whole 2019 hiring situation seemed disorganized and haggard...Cal lost it's final game to Colorado on March 13 in the P12 Tournament. And then, as Nick wrote on the CGB site four years ago, the timeline seems to be this:
March 22nd: (False?) News leaks that Cal is retaining Wyking Jones
March 24th: Cal announces firing of Wyking Jones
March 27th: News breaks that Cal has hired a search firm
March 29th: Cal announces hiring of Mark Fox
That’s a coaching search done in five days, with a search firm that was probably on the job for less than five days."
This on the heels of Bill Musselman choosing to stay in Reno in March '17, saying the hiring process with Michael Williams was a disaster.
Seems like Cal could use a little work on it's hiring process.
No doubt you are correct. I'm pretty sure Pasternack is the guy. Will be interesting though if something happens with Hasse at Stanford and there becomes more competition. Sad to say, but that's a better job and they can outbid us. I wouldn't cry if he's the guy. A definite improvement and would improve our credibility from the jump. But I won't be saving up for Final Four tickets either.
JIM BOEHEIM! We can afford him! 🤣🙃👏🏽
I think the administrative hostility towards men's intercollegiate athletics at Cal is a bigtime disincentive for any coach. Why sign on to coach at a school where some academics wear their hatred for athletics like a badge of honor? These people are everywhere in the woodwork at Cal and they will do their best to gum up and slow down whatever efforts are necessary to make Cal a PAC-12 power in basketball. Like Randy Bennett says: "I wouldn't touch the Cal job with a 39-and-a-half foot long pole". Are you listening Tim Miles? People think the job at SJS is tough. It's nothing compared to the institutional headwinds ANY coach will face at Cal. Think about it - is Mark Fox a terrible coach? How did a guy go from being so successful at a very good G5 program like Nevada to become a schmuck at a P5 bottom-feeder like Cal? A: It's all in the admin support from the school. You could bring John Wooden back and put him in charge of Cal and he'd struggle to win half of his games. Change Cal's athletic culture to be exactly the same as UCLA or UCSB and only then will you have a chance of being successful at Berkeley.
Becky Hammon??? Tara Vanderveer??? Look, I know it's Berkeley and we're always trying to 'out-woke' everybody, but are you guys serious? Or did you put that in for comic relief?
Why on earth did you not include Coach Alex Pribble on this list. He is good. Former Cal Player and asst coach and grew up in Bay Area where his family still resides.
I know Tim Miles doesn't inspire much enthusiasm around here but he basically just bounced Steve Alford from the bubble this year. If that's not a point in his favor I don't know what is.
It is. But if he’s one of the first names we’re calling and not waiting to interview guys that are playing in the tournament that’s malpractice.
What about Brian Shaw...from the Town, went to O'Dowd and would be able to recruit at a high level, esp. the local kids. Not sure what he's making as an assistant with the Clippers and his desire to coach at the college level...but worth exploring.
I didn’t see Ted Lasso on that list.
Kids need a motivator.
I think we should take a long look at Amir Abdur-Rahim
Agree Tim Miles and Herb Sendrek would be disasters
I guess a chron article listed Martin as a candidate to return. That would be interesting and better than many on your list
Good and interesting write-up. It would seem there's a broad array of choices. It would seem we can only go up from here, but I hope we don't settle for a .500 ceiling, just to get the taste of this season out of our mouths.
Mark Fox was basically settling for the low ceiling, high floor guy in hopes to just to get back to .500.
Hope we avoid making the same mistake twice.
When you shoot for so-so and miss, you're even more pathetic than ever.
Go big or go home, IMHO.
Seriously.
The whole 2019 hiring situation seemed disorganized and haggard...Cal lost it's final game to Colorado on March 13 in the P12 Tournament. And then, as Nick wrote on the CGB site four years ago, the timeline seems to be this:
March 22nd: (False?) News leaks that Cal is retaining Wyking Jones
March 24th: Cal announces firing of Wyking Jones
March 27th: News breaks that Cal has hired a search firm
March 29th: Cal announces hiring of Mark Fox
That’s a coaching search done in five days, with a search firm that was probably on the job for less than five days."
This on the heels of Bill Musselman choosing to stay in Reno in March '17, saying the hiring process with Michael Williams was a disaster.
Seems like Cal could use a little work on it's hiring process.
Pat Ewing is available. Also in the area, the coach at American University was let go today.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/03/09/georgetown-fires-patrick-ewing/
Enjoy this brief moment of hopefulness folks. This period of coaching vacancies has become the sweet spot for Cal fans before a new winter comes.
No Jay Wright? Cmon!
Chef's kiss: "Reportedly 'doesn’t interview well.'”
I'm pretty confident Knowltons list is much shorter, and probably less in depth
No doubt you are correct. I'm pretty sure Pasternack is the guy. Will be interesting though if something happens with Hasse at Stanford and there becomes more competition. Sad to say, but that's a better job and they can outbid us. I wouldn't cry if he's the guy. A definite improvement and would improve our credibility from the jump. But I won't be saving up for Final Four tickets either.
While your looking at improbable candidates how about Jason Kidd
He has enough money and may be
Looking for a new challenge
That’s…. Yeah…. I’ll just leave it at that.
Hey, Patrick Ewing is available.