RUMOR: Cal basketball coaching search involving Joe Pasternack and Amir Abdur-Rahim

The Bears might be looking into the UC Santa Barbara and Kennesaw State coaches for the future.

A rumor is floating around the college basketball interwebs that hints at two candidates for the Cal coaching position, both of whom have prior connections to the program:

Front Office Sports @FOS

Amir Abdur-Rahim grew up in Atlanta with 13 siblings — 1 of 6 brothers to play college hoops. In his first year as head coach, Kennesaw State had ONE win and two scholarship players. He's led KSU to its first winning season in D-I history and just went toe-to-toe with Xavier.

• Kennesaw State head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, brother to Cal legend Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Abdur-Rahim has engineered an incredible turnaround with the Owls, taking them from 1-28 in his first season four years ago to their first ever Big Dance appearance in 18 seasons in Division 1.

UC Santa Barbara Basketball @UCSBbasketball

MARCH MADNESS ☔️🕺 #GoGauchos | @MarchMadnessMBB

• UC Santa Barbara head coach Joe Pasternack, former Cal assistant under Ben Braun. Pasternack made his second NCAA Tournament in three years this season, earning another Big West title in the process.

Coaching Changes @CoachingChanges

On the same day we hear Amir Abdur-Rahim may be involved at Cal, we have also heard Pasternak to Cal is reaching a conclusion. This hiring season has produced more conflicting rumors from normally reliable sources than any hiring season I can recall.

(To preface: This is a rumor. Not a report.)

Of all the coaches circulated in our big board, these are the two with the greatest connective tissue to the Cal infrastructure. It makes sense that would be considered. It would certainly raise expectations that Cal is ready to start competing again.

Both UC Santa Barbara and Kennesaw State fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, so it makes sense that talks would start progressing this weekend.

Thoughts on the two potential candidates?