Sunday afternoon it was announced that California has fired head coach Wyking Jones, who spent two seasons in the position after being promoted after Cuonzo Martin left for Missouri. The program struggled mightily under Jones, posting an overall record of 16 wins and 47 losses.
“This was a difficult decision to make and comes after a deliberate and holistic review of our men’s basketball program,” Cal director of athletics Jim Knowlton said in a statement released by the school. “As always, we were guided by the best interests of our student-athletes, as well as the values and objectives of Cal Athletics and our University.
“As we quickly turn toward our search for a new head coach for our men’s basketball program, I am certain that we will attract a strong, talented and highly qualified pool of candidates,” Knowlton continued. “I am confident that we will find someone who will help lead us on a path to being exceptional.”
After going 2-16 in Pac-12 play last season the Golden Bears were 3-15 this season, with the wins coming against Bay Area rival Stanford, Pac-12 regular season champion Washington, and Washington State.
According to John Canzano of The Oregonian, former Cal point guard Jason Kidd is one person who’s been mentioned as a candidate this opening. UC Irvine head coach Russell Turner, Nevada head coach Eric Musselman and Montana head coach Travis Decuire have also been mentioned as possible candidates.