After a brutal performance in the 2022-23 men’s college basketball season, a Pac-12 school has chosen to fire its head coach.
The California Golden Bears announced on Thursday that Mark Fox “will not return” as head coach for the 2023-24 college basketball season.
Cal athletic director Jim Knowlton released a statement:
“I want to thank Mark for his unwavering commitment to our men’s basketball program,” Knowlton said. “He led the team through some challenging times, and always did so with the class and professionalism we have come to expect from him. Mark understood and embraced our University’s mission and ideals, and was always an exemplary representative of our department. I wish him the best of luck in the future.
“This was a difficult decision and one that I do not take lightly. After deliberately and holistically evaluating all aspects of our program, I felt a change was needed at this time. We will always be guided by the best interests of our student-athletes, as well as the values of our University.”
Cal went 3-29 on the season and 2-18 in Pac-12 play. The Golden Bears finished the season on a 16-game losing streak, which concluded with a 69-52 loss to Washington State in the Pac-12 Tournament. At three wins, Cal is tied for the fewest victories in Division I this season.
Fox, 54, went 38-87 in four seasons as Cal head coach. He took over as head coach of the Golden Bears in 2019 after spending nine seasons in the SEC as head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs. He was also head coach of the Nevada Wolf Pack from 2004-09.
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reports that “Two names consistently linked in recent weeks to the Cal opening are UC Santa Barbara’s Joe Pasternack and San Jose State’s Tim Miles.”
[California Golden Bears athletics official website]
