Mark Madsen, a March Madness hero for the Stanford Cardinal, is teed up to coach in the Pac-12 next season. Except it won’t be for his alma mater. Instead, Madsen is set to be the next head coach for Stanford’s most bitter rival.
The Cal Golden Bears went a dismal 3-25 this season. As anticipated, they made a change in leadership after they dismissed Mark Fox. The Bears added fuel to the fire in their longstanding rivalry with Stanford as reports of Madsen’s hire surfaced on Wednesday.
“BREAKING: Utah Valley coach/Stanford legend Mark Madsen has agreed in principle to return to the Bay Area — not to coach Stanford, but its bitter rival, the Cal Golden Bears, sources tell @CBSSports. Announcement coming this afternoon,” CBS Sports insider Matt Norlander tweeted.
BREAKING: Utah Valley coach/Stanford legend Mark Madsen has agreed in principle to return to the Bay Area — not to coach Stanford, but its bitter rival, the Cal Golden Bears, sources tell @CBSSports. Announcement coming this afternoon.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 29, 2023
Madsen is most notably remembered not just for being a dancing fool at a Lakers parade but also as a March Madness hero for the Stanford Cardinal. He put the Cardinal in the Final Four with an epic dunk in the 1998 Elite Eight against Rhode Island.
Now, though, he’ll patrol the sidelines for the hated Cal Bears.
Madsen has a proven track record as a head coach. He won the WAC Coach of the Year Award just this past season after he led Utah Valley to its second WAC regular-season championship in three seasons.
