California Basketball: 7 candidates to replace Mark Fox as head coach

Jason Hart

When this job last opened four years ago, there were rumblings that former NBA player and coach Jason Kidd was a candidate to take over at his alma mater. While that is not the case this time (he’s head coach of the Dallas Mavericks), that doesn’t stop us from looking beyond the current collegiate climate for a new head coach for the Golden Bears. Luckily, this one does have a decade of relevant experience in the college game.

Hart starred at Syracuse and spent a decade playing in the NBA before beginning his own coaching career just over a decade ago. He originally joined the staff at Pepperdine before getting a spot on Andy Enfield’s coaching staff at USC in 2013. He’d be an important part of the Trojans across the next eight seasons before he was hired to lead NBA G League Ignite, a role he’s had for the last two seasons.

While he’s never been a collegiate head coach, his work with Ignite has given him valuable experience. Hart has also spent nearly a decade coaching and recruiting in the Pac-12, so he knows what he’s doing on that front as well. We’re not sure if California wants to bring in someone without relevant head coaching experience, but they did promoted Wyking Jones a few years ago. Bringing in Hart would at least mix things up for a rather stale basketball program.