Story Poster
Photo by Cal Athletics
Cal Basketball

Cal Makes Change In Men's Basketball Leadership - Fox Gone

March 9, 2023
15,681

BERKELEY - Mark Fox, who has served as California's men's basketball head coach for the past four seasons, will not return next year, Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton announced Thursday.

Fox compiled a record of 38-87 with the Golden Bears, including a pair of wins over rival Stanford in the Pac-12 Tournament and engineering a six-win improvement from the previous year in his first season as head coach.

Fox also guided the program through the COVID-19 pandemic, navigating some of the most disruptive restrictions in the country.

"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."

The Bears excelled academically during Fox's tenure, twice earning the National Association of Basketball Coaches Team Academic Excellence Award while also producing four NABC Honors Court selections.

Fox also helped fund an internship through the McLendon Minority Leadership initiative, which provides opportunities for approximately 30 young minorities per year within college athletic departments across the country.

The University will begin a national search immediately to find its new head coach.

 

Discussion from...

Cal Makes Change In Men's Basketball Leadership - Fox Gone

11,769 Views | 50 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by CaliforniaEternal
parentswerebears
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Wow. You can spin anything to sound positive. The WORST coach in Cal history and they still found a way to make his tenure a positive.
BeachedBear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
parentswerebears said:

Wow. You can spin anything to sound positive. The WORST coach in Cal history and they still found a way to make his tenure a positive.
That sure looked a LOT like the ChatGPT post from yesterday!!!
Bobodeluxe
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Welcome back, Wyking!
bluehenbear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Could the headline be any more anodyne? Cal fired its (objectively terrible) basketball coach. Say so!
wraptor347
How long do you want to ignore this user?
"This was a difficult decision and one that I do not take lightly"

Was it really that difficult JK?
PtownBear1
How long do you want to ignore this user?
wraptor347 said:

"This was a difficult decision and one that I do not take lightly"

Was it really that difficult JK?
Tying his shoes is probably difficult for that guy. Many thanks to those that forced him to finally do his job, albeit 1-2 years late.
calumnus
How long do you want to ignore this user?
BeachedBear said:

parentswerebears said:

Wow. You can spin anything to sound positive. The WORST coach in Cal history and they still found a way to make his tenure a positive.
That sure looked a LOT like the ChatGPT post from yesterday!!!


Right? Now we know how to save $millions in the AD.
calumnus
How long do you want to ignore this user?
So who had March 9 in the pool?
eastcoastcal
How long do you want to ignore this user?
calumnus said:

So who had March 9 in the pool?
me!!! only 11 minutes off! I think as a reward I should get to be AD for the day

https://bearinsider.com/forums/3/topics/113675/replies/2140597
Polodad
How long do you want to ignore this user?
In another thread I posted 'not before March 5 and not after March 9. I got the window right.
SFCALBear72
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Of course, March 9.

Big Give! Big Heave-Ho!!
stu
How long do you want to ignore this user?
I waffled between March 9, 10, and 13. No credit.
JimSox
How long do you want to ignore this user?
He "deliberately" evaluated the program? Meaning he didn't evaluate it by accident? Maybe ChatGPT could have done better.
bearister
How long do you want to ignore this user?
"Fox also helped fund an internship through the McLendon Minority Leadership initiative, which provides opportunities for approximately 30 young minorities per year within college athletic departments across the country."

Well, at least I credit him for that. Ben Braun made a substantial donation to Cal when he was the coach. I'm sure most coaches don't.

College basketball: Cal men's hoops fires Mark Fox


https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/03/09/cal-fires-mark-fox-after-four-years-as-mens-hoops-head-coach
Cancel my subscription to the Resurrection
Send my credentials to the House of Detention
I got some friends inside
Big C
How long do you want to ignore this user?

Let's move forward. Go Bears!
bearister
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Big C said:


Let's move forward. Go Bears!


As a guy that loves stats, a burning question for me is, how long will the 16 consecutive losses school record last?

I figured Wyking's record would last at least as long as Bob Beamon's long jump record (23 years), and maybe go unbroken, but the Foxorama tied it after just 4 years.



*You really do have to respect the -16 in a row. Not everyone can do that. I'm thinking if they let me coach a season, I might not even be able to attain it.
Cancel my subscription to the Resurrection
Send my credentials to the House of Detention
I got some friends inside
JimSox
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Steve Kroner's article on the Chronicle website names Shantay Legans as well as Pasternack and Miles as possible candidates.
Cal8285
How long do you want to ignore this user?
PtownBear1 said:

wraptor347 said:

"This was a difficult decision and one that I do not take lightly"

Was it really that difficult JK?
Tying his shoes is probably difficult for that guy. Many thanks to those that forced him to finally do his job, albeit 1-2 years late.
He hasn't done his job yet.

Sure, Knowlton fired Wyking four years ago, which he needed to do, but he still didn't do his job, because all he did was hire Fox, a guy who had nine years to prove what he could do at the power conference level, and ended up proving that AT BEST he could be mediocre in a power conference. Fox also proved in the hiring process that he was Knowlton's kind of guy. But never proved that he was a guy to recruit or coach players in the year 2019.

I'm still waiting for Knowlton to do his job.
Bobodeluxe
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Cal8285 said:

PtownBear1 said:

wraptor347 said:

"This was a difficult decision and one that I do not take lightly"

Was it really that difficult JK?
Tying his shoes is probably difficult for that guy. Many thanks to those that forced him to finally do his job, albeit 1-2 years late.
He hasn't done his job yet.

Sure, Knowlton fired Wyking four years ago, which he needed to do, but he still didn't do his job, because all he did was hire Fox, a guy who had nine years to prove what he could do at the power conference level, and ended up proving that AT BEST he could be mediocre in a power conference. Fox also proved in the hiring process that he was Knowlton's kind of guy. But never proved that he was a guy to recruit or coach players in the year 2019.

I'm still waiting for Knowlton to do his job.
He kept Wilcox out of Oregon's hands(wings?).
bearister
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Cal fires men's basketball head coach Mark Fox after 3-29 season


https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/college/article/cal-fires-men-s-basketball-head-coach-mark-fox-17828596.php


"After deliberately and holistically evaluating all aspects of our program…"

I'd fire JK for using the word "holistically" in that quote on general principle.

Cancel my subscription to the Resurrection
Send my credentials to the House of Detention
I got some friends inside
stu
How long do you want to ignore this user?
bearister said:

"After deliberately and holistically evaluating all aspects of our program…"

I'd fire JK for using the word "holistically" in that quote on general principle.
I'd expected something like "modality". Did he also fire ChatGPT?
BigDaddy
How long do you want to ignore this user?
3-29 and it was a "difficult decision"?!

“My tastes are simple; I am easily satisfied with the best.” - Winston Churchill
Bobodeluxe
How long do you want to ignore this user?
BigDaddy said:

3-29 and it was a "difficult decision"?!


There were several close losses.
Deutsch
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Absent demonstrable wrongdoing (excludes incompetence) there is no reason for an employer to bad mouth any employee when letting him/ her go. The statement could well have been drafted by counsel to the university, aimed at getting the basic info out there while maintaining dignity for all concerned whether or not any of us frustrated fans agree that the employee's record warranted such "Kidd gloves" treatment. Folks, let's redirect our energies to the coaching search.
Econ141
How long do you want to ignore this user?
PtownBear1 said:

wraptor347 said:

"This was a difficult decision and one that I do not take lightly"

Was it really that difficult JK?
Tying his shoes is probably difficult for that guy. Many thanks to those that forced him to finally do his job, albeit 1-2 years late.


Right?!? He should have said "after a lot of thought and deliberation, I have decided to do what most of you would have done two years ago..."
Bearly Clad
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Thank God and good riddance. Now maybe the program can finally come out of hibernation. I thought for sure Wyking would be the nadir of Cal Basketball this century but Fox found a way to bust through the stone floor and find a new rock bottom. Hopefully the powers that be will make the proper investment and find a coach who actually has the ability to recruit and coach the game
59bear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
parentswerebears said:

Wow. You can spin anything to sound positive. The WORST coach in Cal history and they still found a way to make his tenure a positive.
I'm not sure he was worse than Wyking. Two failures in succession certainly have put the program in dire straits.
Grrrrah76
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Five years too late......and Fox only coached four seasons.
Cabin14
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Jim Knowlton is a piece of work, Cal fans.

stu
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Bearly Clad said:

Thank God and good riddance. Now maybe the program can finally come out of hibernation. I thought for sure Wyking would be the nadir of Cal Basketball this century but Fox found a way to bust through the stone floor and find a new rock bottom. Hopefully the powers that be will make the proper investment and find a coach who actually has the ability to recruit and coach the game
Not even rock. The center of the Earth is metal.
Gunga la Gunga
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Let's be clear. Cal hoops is still on the decline. There is no upward movement until a set of positive moves are executed as the wyking firing demonstrates.
calumnus
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Gunga la Gunga said:

Let's be clear. Cal hoops is still on the decline. There is no upward movement until a set of positive moves are executed as the wyking firing demonstrates.


Yes, the Wyking firing seemed like a move in the right direction. We had a decent young starting core in
C Vanover
PF Kelly
SF Sueing
SG Bradley
PG Paris

All we needed to do was hire a coach that could retain that group and build upon it while teaching and inspiring. Dennis Gates would have been a home run. Travis a triple. Pasternak a double.

But Knowlton hired Fox and destroyed even the good that we had.

Thankfully the portal will make a relatively quick turn around possible with a good coach backed by NIL.
Bobodeluxe
How long do you want to ignore this user?
"…backed by NIL"

Cal67
How long do you want to ignore this user?
" … holistically …. "???
Cal8285
How long do you want to ignore this user?
59bear said:

parentswerebears said:

Wow. You can spin anything to sound positive. The WORST coach in Cal history and they still found a way to make his tenure a positive.
I'm not sure he was worse than Wyking. Two failures in succession certainly have put the program in dire straits.
The big reason Fox was worse than Jones is that Fox lasted 4 years vs 2 for Jones.

But the biggest disaster is those two failures in succession lasting a total of 6 years. The Bears can't afford another failure.
Page 1 of 2
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.