The basketball world reacts to Mark Madsen, Cal head coach
The feedback is positive from all basketball circles about Madsen's leap back to the Bay Area.
Mark Madsen is now officially the next Cal men’s basketball coach. Early reviews have come in and the hire is receiving very solid kudos from many hoops experts.
Basketball legend Steve Nash was one of the first to officially congratulate Madsen.
Klay Thompson was curious about the Cal coaching search, and all signs are he’s a fan of the hire.
Lakers legend James Worthy went so far as to give him a call to offer his congratulations!
Cal alum Dennis Gates, who is now thriving in Missouri after being passed over in previous Cal coaching searches, voiced support for Madsen.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who vouched for his brother Amir in Cal’s search for a new coach, was a big fan of the decision.
Amir has gone on to accept the head coaching job at South Florida.
Former Laker Luke Walton also had great things to say.
Cal head coach Ben Braun, who coached against Madsen numerous times, had nothing but kind words.
Madsen also said farewell to his Utah Valley team after bowing out in the NIT semifinals on Tuesday.
Here are additional quotes from Madsen’s old teammates and fellow coaches.
"Mark was not just my teammate but my friend. I'm excited to witness all of his success both playing and coaching the game. Mark's love for basketball is over the top; his willingness to learn the game from coaches and teammates throughout his career has set him up to be a great coach. I'm excited to see what this next chapter brings him." – Robert Horry
"Mark is one of the brightest coaches in college basketball today. Besides his basketball knowledge, the thing that sets Mark apart is his high moral character. He will be a fantastic representative of the Cal family." – Mark D'Antoni
"Mark Madsen is one of the best human beings I've ever met. I was lucky to be teammates with him in college where he consistently demonstrated leadership, hustle and true friendship each and every day. His drive and positive energy inspired all of us to improve and work harder to achieve our goals. I'm so proud to see the coach he has become and how his players can look to him as an excellent role model for future success in all parts of their lives." – Jason Collins
"Mark was the teammate that every championship-level team must have on it; a player with boundless focus and energy coupled with a high basketball IQ and a willingness to sacrifice for his teammates and the greater team goal. Some people call those players the glue player – I call it the heart and soul of any successful team." – Rick Fox
Of course, Mark Fox came with his fair set of kudos like Brad Stevens, Geno Auriemma, and Jeff Van Gundy, so it’s pretty clear that none of these statements will bear any weight on Madsen’s performance.
But at least it’s nice to have a palpable buzz around the program again!
This comes as zero surprise. He's a personable, quality human being with strong ties to both the college and NBA games. Let's get that NIL funded so he can recruit at the highest levels.
www.calegends.com
Men's Basketball specific.
The acclamations of his peers are indeed impressive, hopefully we can turn around the program quickly.