The California Golden Bears parted ways with Mark Fox after another disappointing season in college basketball. Cal finished with a lowly 3-29 mark and a 2-18 record in the Pac-12 in another bottom finish, and things desperately needed to change in Berkeley. Now, the Golden Bears have a new head coach in former Los Angeles Lakers guard and Utah Valley head coach Mark Madsen, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium.

“Unless he has a change of heart, Cal is expected to hire Utah Valley head coach Mark Madsen once Utah Valley is done playing in the NIT, source told @stadium. Everyone thought Madsen was a lock to return to Stanford – but the Cardinal did not make a move and Madsen couldn’t turn down the Cal job.” 

There it is. After a long road of discussions, all signs point to Mark Madsen taking the job at Cal and returning to California.

A Look At Mark Madsen's Resume

Madsen's resume is quite impressive, both as a player and coach. He was a first-round pick in the 2000 NBA Draft and won two titles with the Lakers before moving and finishing his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Madsen then entered the coaching ranks, where he began as an assistant for the Utah Flash and then Stanford, his alma mater. Madsen then coached the D-Fenders for one year before becoming an assistant with the Lakers.

In 219, Madsen was hired as the head coach at Utah Valley, and he has turned the program around quickly in just a few years. Utah Valley won two WAC regular season titles in Madsen's time, and he was named the WAC Coach of the Year, but a loss to Southern Utah in the WAC Tournament ruined their hopes of an NCAA Tournament berth.

Mark Madsen is moving to the Pac-12 with a big promotion and a tough job ahead of him, although he went 70-50 in four years at Utah Valley. The Wolverines are still alive in the NIT and face UAB on Tuesday, so Madsen will likely make the Cal decision official when the NIT is over.