Advertisement

Cal hires Mark Fox as new basketball coach, shutting door on Jason Kidd's return

eric he
Yahoo Sports Contributor
Georgia head coach Mark Fox watches play against Arkansas during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinal round of the Southeastern Conference tournament, Saturday, March 14, 2015, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Former Georgia head coach Mark Fox will take over the helm at Cal, which did not hire a splashy name such as Jason Kidd (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Hiring Jason Kidd as its new basketball coach would’ve surely created a buzz for a wallowing Cal program that just went through the worst two-season stretch in its history.

But five days after firing Wyking Jones, Cal instead opted to bring in Mark Fox, who was fired at Georgia last year after nine seasons coaching the Bulldogs.

The Bears have made the NCAA tournament just once in the last six years, and Jones managed just eight wins in each of his two seasons at the helm, along with five total conference wins. Cal actually planned on retaining Jones for a third season until players reportedly met with athletic director Jim Knowlton to voice their support in ousting Jones.

No splashy hire

Instead of going for a shiny name like Kidd, Cal opted for an under-the-radar candidate in Fox, who has a 286-176 career record in 14 seasons coaching Nevada and Georgia, making the NCAA tournament five times.

That could turn out to be prudent. Though Kidd would be a splashy hire as a beloved former star at Cal, he does not have the best track record as a head coach. His tenure at the Brooklyn Nets is best summarized by him being fined $50,000 for intentionally spilling a cup of Coke during a game, and he lasted three-plus seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks before being fired midseason. In Brooklyn, he made an unsuccessful power play to grab the position of president of basketball operations, and in Milwaukee, he criticized a young team for being selfish.

Kidd is also being considered for other positions, including the Los Angeles Lakers gig in the likely case that Luke Walton is fired after this season. Wherever he lands, though, Kidd will come with the baggage of his past reputation.

Knowlton, apparently, thought better of it. Though Kidd would likely improve dwindling attendance, how he would handle coaching college athletes would be an interesting question — and Cal did not want to find out.

More from Yahoo Sports: