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Cuonzo Martin resigns from California, expected to accept Missouri offer

NCAA Basketball Tournament - First Round - Spokane

SPOKANE, WA - MARCH 18: Head coach Cuonzo Martin of the California Golden Bears reacts to a play in the second half against the Hawaii Warriors during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena on March 18, 2016 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

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Cuonzo Martin is expected to accept the head coaching position at Missouri, sources told NBC Sports.

Martin spent the last three seasons as the head coach at Cal, where he went 62-39 and 28-24 in the Pac-12. He had previously coached at Tennessee and Missouri State, after spending years as an assistant at Purdue, his alma mater.

Cal announced on Wednesday afternoon that Martin had resigned and that Wyking Jones was named the interim head coach.

Martin is a native of East St. Louis, Illinois, and still has plenty of connections in the area. He will be able to recruit, but he also will inherit a tough situation. Kim Anderson did not leave a lot of talent on the roster, having lost at least 20 games in each of his three seasons, and there are potential APR issues on the horizon, not to mention allegations of academic misconduct.

But Missouri is a job where Martin can have success. There’s no reason that they cannot be a top three program in the SEC, and when that program is rolling, the Tiger faithful come out in droves. The key is keeping talent in-state, and that’s what this hire is likely all about.