Cal fired basketball coach Wyking Jones on Sunday, after the program's worst back-to-back seasons since the 1970s, as first reported by ESPN's Jeff Goodman. The Golden Bears went 16-47 under Jones and totalled just five conference wins in a weakened Pac-12.
The school's administration favored retaining Jones before discussions with student-athletes altered their thinking, Goodman reported. Jones' replacement will become Cal's fifth coach in 12 years, signalling a period of turbulence for an institution that benefits from its athletic reputation and proximity to San Francisco.
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Jason Kidd is reportedly a top target for Cal, considering his Hall of Fame pedigree and two years as a player with the Golden Bears. He could instead jump at a chance to coach the Los Angeles Lakers should that opportunity arise, however, making the program's candidate search murky for the time being.
(Cont.) Cal’s primary target, I'm told by a campus source, is expected to be Jason Kidd … as next men's basketball coach in Berkeley.
— John Canzano (@johncanzanobft) March 24, 2019
Kidd will be among the serious candidates for the Lakers coaching job if Luke Walton is dismissed, league sources tell ESPN. That’s expected to give Kidd some pause on pursuing the Cal opening now. https://t.co/mm1SHCcVNJ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 24, 2019
Kidd last coached for the Milwaukee Bucks, overseeing that NBA for four seasons after leading the Brooklyn Nets for a year.