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.

Cal Basketball @CalMBBall

High praise from a legend 👏 @madsen_mark x @SteveNash #GoBears

Klay Thompson was curious about the Cal coaching search, and all signs are he’s a fan of the hire.

Tim Kawakami @timkawakami

As a Pac-12 guy, Klay Thompson has been curious about the Cal men's hoops search for a few weeks now. We both came up with candidates back then and neither of us said Mark Madsen. But last night Klay gave a huge thumbs up for Madsen at Cal.

Lakers legend James Worthy went so far as to give him a call to offer his congratulations!

Ryan Gesas @Geeseyy

James Worthy just called Mark Madsen live on air to congratulate him on the Cal job.

Cal alum Dennis Gates, who is now thriving in Missouri after being passed over in previous Cal coaching searches, voiced support for Madsen.

Dennis Gates @coachdgates

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!

Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who vouched for his brother Amir in Cal’s search for a new coach, was a big fan of the decision.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim @ShareefAbdur_R

Couldn't say it better! Go Bears!

Dennis Gates @coachdgates

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!

Amir has gone on to accept the head coaching job at South Florida.

Former Laker Luke Walton also had great things to say.

Cal Basketball @CalMBBall

Checks off all the boxes ✅ @madsen_mark x #GoBears

Cal head coach Ben Braun, who coached against Madsen numerous times, had nothing but kind words.

Ben Braun @coachbenbraun

Congrats @madsen_mark Never had an answer for you when @CalMBBall played your @StanfordMBB team. Could have used you on our side then but good to have you now. All the best! https://t.co/XtXNabTd7V

Cal Basketball @CalMBBall

An East Bay native is coming home. The new head coach of the Golden Bears is @madsen_mark! 📰 » https://t.co/QDi2kVAReM #GoBears https://t.co/UvrOV7ZrLf

Madsen also said farewell to his Utah Valley team after bowing out in the NIT semifinals on Tuesday.

Mark Madsen @madsen_mark

Thank you @UVU for the most incredible journey over the past four years. We will miss you and will be back OFTEN! Thank you @UVU_president and @Jared_Sumsion for your inspirational leadership of this great university and athletics program. Thank you for everything. We… https://t.co/0kXXPmLh6J

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!