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

Russell Turner

We’re not going to beat around the bush too much for the final name on this list. This isn’t Turner’s first time on the proverbial shortlist for the Golden Bears but this might be the year he gets the job. He’s done impressive work as a collegiate head coach in recent years and he’d likely check many of the boxes in what California is looking for to lead this program in 2023.

Turner spent time as an assistant coach at Wake Forest and Stanford during prosperous eras for both programs. He spent six years working with the Golden State Warriors, originally following former Stanford both Mike Montgomery, who’d later become a success Cal coach in later years. Turner became head coach at UC Irvine in 2010 and his impact on the Anteaters has been immense. He’s taken UC Irvine to a pair of NCAA Tournaments, a first round upset over Kansas State in 2019, and won his sixth Big West regular season title this very season.

Continuing to finish at or near the top of the Big West standings, Turner has proven he’s ready to take the next step and Cal seems like the perfect launching point for him. The Golden Bears would be bringing in a successful head coach who’s worked in the Pac-12 and in the Bay Area already. Would Turner be able to turn things around for the Golden Bears, or to at least make a significant difference in an ever-changing Pac-12?

We’ve taken a close look at seven potential candidates for the head coaching job at California; who do you think would be the perfect hire for the Golden Bears?