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CalBear91's avatar

Go Bears! Welcome Coach Mad Dog. Let's right this ship and get the darn thing going the right direction. We are the sturdy Golden Bears of California and the only thing keeping us from basketball greatness is our choice to do it. I trust he will run a clean, ethical program.

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coyote32's avatar

The bigger question is: Will he also be coaching the dance team?!?

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cleancutmedia's avatar

don't worry coyote, I appreciate your post - diehardlakerfan :)

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OC Bear's avatar

if so, he bette hurry as JK will find a way to eliminate the dancers, even tho they are volunteers

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Just Nineties's avatar

This is a great hire! You know its good when people are worried about what he is going to do after he succeeds here at Cal. Stand up guy who will be able to maximize his appeal while coaching at a top university in the world. Coach Madsen is an extension of the all time greats Kobe, Shaq, and Phil Jackson and will return Cal Basketball to the national spotlight. GOOOO BEARS!

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PawlOski's avatar

While I'm still not sure this was the best basketball choice given a couple of the alternatives, it's hard not to appreciate all of the optimism and attention that has been lacking for six years. If that's all MM does and I'm sure it won't be, then that's definitely a very large step in the right direction. Ready to ride the Mad Dog train!

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goldenone's avatar

In the words of Bill Walton...."The Berkeley Bears are growling in their lair, grrahhh, grrahhh"

Now let's get this ship turned around....

As an O'Dowd guy I hope the O'Dowd guys stay and can have an impact...

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Jimmy Chitwood's avatar

The O’Dowd guys need to be up at the gym off Golf Links Rd shooting 500 jumpers a day until October…neither can shoot it consistently.

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hoopdreams's avatar

Madsen will need some NIL dollars to bring in some talent to compete the Pac12.

Great time to start (or up) you support of NIL

https://calegends.com

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Ynot Cal's avatar

Dennis Gates' Tweet with Shareef Retweeting, "Couldn't say it better! Go Bears!" :

Congrats to @Madsen_mark as he enters into this next chapter @UCBerkeley! Yes he is a @Stanford

grad! So what! He is a great leader, person & coach. If you want @CalMBBall to WIN show him & the players unwavering support! I do! Best of luck! I can’t wait to hear him say Go Bears!

Feeling better about the hire with all the glowing testimonials and it sounds like he gets the transfer portal & NIL. Supposedly, already has had a Zoom with the team & they were pumped. Also, recruit Rodney Brown is eager to play for MM.

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Justbear's avatar

That's more encouraging than when Rodgers showed discontentment about coaching changes.

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Endiedendie's avatar

For anyone who knows mark madsen, He is a loyal guy. Cal gave him this opportunity and neither Stanford nor BYU (especially BYU) will be able to lure him away. He said he would love to stay his whole career at Cal. Stanford basically told him that they didn’t want him when they doubled down on Haase. They had their chance. BYU picked Pope over him (big mistake) and they had their chance. Mark should kill it at Cal if he can get the support of the university around him. Go Mark Madsen and GO BEARS!!!

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AndDriveDriveDrive's avatar

Am I missing something about the BYU connection? Is it just because he is LDS? I am a member and it isn’t as though we are all called to work at BYU. I don’t think he is coming here just to jump in two years, but as others have said, if he is, then it means he was successful here.

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CalBear91's avatar

Is there a longer statement from him somewhere where he says this about wanting to be at Cal long term?

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Endiedendie's avatar

Marks comments were to me personally. He is very happy to be going to Cal and he is a loyal person. He could easily spend his entire career there if he does well.

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Bryan Ramona's avatar

LFG! #GoBears

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KetamineCal's avatar

Let's turn this ship around and get our team assembled!

Hope he can also unlock some NIL dollars by providing some desperately needed hope for the program given his rising stock. I also think he has the right personality to handle coaching at Cal (despite being a Furdie).

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Maestro's avatar

While So Florida formally hires AAR. Interesting timing.

So who is planning the going away party for Fox. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

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holdmybear's avatar

I hope we don't regret passing on AAR. I liked the idea of hiring him

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calpaladin's avatar

I expect AAR to do well; I'm guessing the lack of West Coast ties hurt his chances at Cal.

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PawlOski's avatar

Not being part of Monty's knitting circle hurt his chances more than anything

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Jimmy Chitwood's avatar

Knowlton hurt his chances at Cal.

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OC Bear's avatar

Knowlton hurt Cal's chances. (is always the answer)

(fixed it for you)

Obviously, we'll never be privy to what went on behind closed doors, but if I was AAR, I'd be hesitant to take the Cal job with an AD whose foot is/should be half-way out the door. AAR is/was an extremely attractive up-and-comer, and was clearly taking calls from others. Why not get a big payday to remain in region and play to your own local recruiting strengths?

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Ynot Cal's avatar

Since it appears, he was the only one that interviewed via Zoom. I'm guessing, that it was on his request since he was clearly being courted by other schools and was keeping his options open. I think USF & $$ was his preference.

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coyote32's avatar

I’ll drive him to the airport…

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OC Bear's avatar

we should have left him on the Vegas tarmac.

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ThePlay's avatar

Let’s go Mad dog! Great defense and an up tempo offense means wins! Bear fan get excited. It looks like he can recruit guys who can shoot!

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AndDriveDriveDrive's avatar

I don’t know much about college basketball because we have been terrible since I graduated. That said, if you don’t think this is a good hire, read Stanfurd fan twitter.

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Brad (aka, RibI)'s avatar

I think this is about as good as Cal could have done. Go Bears! (and ex-furds)

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GoBeerx's avatar

What’s to say he won’t leave the minute furd opens up if he has success?

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Oski Disciple's avatar

What's to say he won't go to UCLA, or Wisconsin, or Georgia Tech or North Carolina or Villanova or New Mexico State or the 76ers or the Italian national team or Berkeley High or what's to say he won't quit and join the circus or be hypnotized into thinking he's a chicken. ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!!!

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Justbear's avatar

Because Dennis Gates would be here now if that is true.

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GoBeerx's avatar

Not after a season. Like let’s say 3

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Justbear's avatar

Well Dennis Gates is a successful NCAA coach who is Cal Alum, and our HC position opened up but Cal didn't hire him. Coaches don't automatically go to their alma mater is what I'm saying.

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calpaladin's avatar

Well, Missouri signed him to an extension with a dump truck full of cash, so yeah, no chance of Gates ever coming to Cal.

Madsen's contract details are not clear yet, but Hasse has been the coach for 7 seasons, with no NCAA appearances and an overall record of 112-109. If Stanford is mediocre again next season and Madsen is able to turn Cal into a competent basketball team, then it wouldn't be hard to see Stanford calling afterwards.

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Jimmy Chitwood's avatar

Borderline incompetent Athletic Directors are a turnoff for some.

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katster's avatar

Somewhere, there is a photo of Mark Madsen and Tim Young in Rally Committee rugbies. I wish I had it -- we put it on fliers after they were good enough sports to actually put them on -- but it's one of those things that exist only as a memory, unless somebody happens to know what happened to that picture. (I think it was the 1996-1997 season, the last one at Harmon, when it happened.)

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