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Wyking Jones promoted to Cal men's basketball head coach

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MARCH 24, 2017

Assistant Cal men’s basketball coach Wyking Jones will be promoted to head coach, according to CBS Sports. Jones served as interim head coach following former head coach Cuonzo Martin’s decision to leave Cal, and he was previously Louisville’s assistant coach before joining the Bears in 2015.

“I am extremely excited to be taking over at Cal as the new men’s basketball head coach,” Jones said in a statement. “To be able to lead this incredible group of men is a dream come true for me. When I left Louisville and decided to come home to California, I was stepping out on faith, but I knew in my heart this was where I needed to be. Coach Martin left an unbelievable foundation for the program and we will work hard to continue to elevate Cal basketball. I want fans to know that I’m excited to coach these guys, not only for what they can do on the court but to continue to cultivate them as young men.”

While at Cal, the Bears went an impressive 44-24 while also being participants in March Madness in 2016 and the National Invitation Tournament in 2017. Jones has nearly 15 years of collegiate coaching experience under his belt, with most of his success coming with the Cardinals under head coach Rick Pitino. Louisville compiled a 123-30 in his four years as assistant, reaching the Final Four two times and capturing the NCAA title in 2013.

Cal reportedly looked at several other options before eventually sticking with Jones, such as Randy Bennett from Saint Mary’s and Los Angeles Lakers’ assistant Theo Robertson.

Check back for updates.

Chris Tril is the sports editor. Contact him at [email protected]
LAST UPDATED

MARCH 25, 2017