Mark Madsen, a two-time NBA champion with East Bay roots and a proven track record as both a college and professional coach, was named the 19th head coach in California men’s basketball history on March 29, 2023. After reinvigorating the Cal program and its fan base with a 10-win improvement in his first year at the helm in 2023-24, Madsen led the Golden Bears into their inaugural season as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024-25.
Madsen’s first year in Bear Territory was marked by Cal’s best finish in the Pac-12 Conference standings since 2016-17 with a tie for sixth place (13-19, 9-11). The Bears’ nine conference wins – each against a different opponent, including marquee victories against UCLA and NCAA Tournament teams Washington State, Oregon and Colorado – were the fourth-most by a first-year head coach in program history.
Madsen was awarded a two-year contract extension in March 2024, keeping him in Berkeley until 2030.
Cal won 10 home games, including six of its final eight, inside Has Pavilion in 2023-24. The final eight-game span was spotlighted by Cal’s first sold-out crowd since Jan. 29, 2017, when 11,801 were on hand for the Bears’ 83-77 overtime win against USC on Feb. 7, 2024. That sellout was sandwiched by attendances of 8,710 against Stanford on Jan. 26 and 9,280 against UCLA on Feb. 10.
Cal won 14 games in 2024-25 and reached the ACC Tournament second round following a double-overtime win over Virginia Tech in the opening round; the Bears became just the second No. 15 seed to win a game in the ACC Tournament. Cal went 11-6 at home in Madsen's second year – including wins over ACC foes Virginia, Florida State, Miami, NC State and Boston College – and picked up a 71-66 road win at USC in nonconference play.
'Mad Dog' – the nickname Madsen received from his fifth grade P.E. teacher at Montair Elementary School in Danville – didn't waste a second in implementing his vision for Cal men's basketball. He and his staff aggressively pursued some of the top recruits in the country in the transfer portal and on the high school level, and On3 ranked the Bears' 2023 transfer class as the eighth-best in the nation. That transfer class was highlighted by Jaylon Tyson – who went on to be selected No. 20 overall in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers in June 2024 – and Fardaws Aimaq, who led the Pac-12 in rebounding (11.0 RPG) and was one of only six major-conference players to average a double-double in the 2023-24 season.
Madsen and company restocked the Cal roster again through the transfer portal heading into the 2024-25 campaign; 10 of Cal’s 11 scholarship newcomers this season are transfers, making up the 12th-ranked transfer class in the country (On3). Among the 11 total scholarship newcomers were sophomore guard and All-ACC Team honorable mention Andrej Stojakovic – who increased his scoring from 7.8 PPG to 17.9 PPG in a single season after transferring from Stanford – and freshman guard Jeremiah Wilkinson, who was named 2024-25 ACC Sixth Man of the Year and earned a spot on the ACC All-Rookie Team on the way to one of the most dynamic freshman seasons in program history.
Following a decorated playing career which included a trip to the NCAA Final Four at Stanford and two NBA championships while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Madsen is considered a rising star in the coaching ranks. Prior to Cal, he most recently led Utah Valley to the semifinals of the 2023 NIT. Madsen was named the 2023 Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and led the Wolverines to a pair of conference titles during his four seasons at the helm. He was well-recognized for his efforts during the 2022-23 campaign as he was named District Coach of the Year by both the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) and a finalist for the Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year award, which is presented annually to the top Division I mid-major coach in college basketball.
Madsen was 70-51 (.578) overall and 39-25 (.609) in WAC play in four seasons at Utah Valley. Following an 11-win season in his first year in 2019-20, Madsen led the Wolverines to a share of the WAC regular-season title in 2020-21 and back-to-back 20-win seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Madsen’s 2022-23 squad won a program record 28 games and was an impressive 15-3 in WAC play. Led by sophomore Aziz Bandaogo, the 2022-23 Wolverines led the country in blocks per game (6.6) and ranked fifth in field-goal percentage defense (39%) and sixth in rebounds per game (40.06), nationally. Utah Valley earned a road victory against Pac-12 Conference foe Utah, 77-72, in Eugene on Dec. 20. In 2021-22, Madsen’s Wolverines finished 20-12 overall and notched signature wins against No. 12 BYU and at Washington.
Under Madsen's guidance, Fardaws Aimaq – who reunited with Madsen as the first transfer to join the Bears ahead of the 2023-24 season – earned back-to-back WAC Defensive Player of the Year honors and was named to the All-WAC first team both years (2020-21, 2021-22). The big man posted a WAC record 27 double-doubles during the 2021-22 season, tied for the fifth-most in a single-season in NCAA history with Oscar Robertson, Lew Alcindor, Artis Gilmore, Bill Walton and Pascal Siakam.
Madsen spent six seasons as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers (2013-19) prior to leading Utah Valley. During his time on the Los Angeles bench, he coached NBA superstars LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash, among others. He also played alongside some of the NBA’s greatest players, including Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Kevin Garnett. Following three seasons played with the Lakers (2000-03), Madsen played six further seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Madsen’s first coaching position came as an assistant coach for the Utah Flash of the NBA Development League during the 2009-10 season. He later returned to his alma mater to earn an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2012 and spent the 2012-13 season as an assistant coach for the Cardinal, working in recruiting, opponent game planning and player development.
A 2019 Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Madsen earned All-America honors twice while helping lead the Cardinal to four NCAA Tournament appearances – including the 1998 Final Four – in as many seasons played from 1996-2000. He averaged 10.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in his Stanford career and ranks fourth in field goal percentage (.587) and sixth in rebounds (857) in program history. Madsen earned an undergraduate degree in economics from Stanford in 2000.
Madsen served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Spain. Madsen and his wife, Hannah, have three sons (William, Leroy and Mark) and two daughters (Alexandria and Anastasia).
THE MADSEN FILE
Personal
Hometown: Danville, Calif.
Family: Wife: Hannah; Sons (3): William, Leroy, Mark; Daughters (2): Alexandria, Anastasia
Alma Mater: Stanford, 2000 & 2012 (BA, economics; MBA)
Playing Experience
1996-2000: Stanford
2000-03: Los Angeles Lakers
2003-09: Minnesota Timberwolves
Coaching Experience
2009-10: Utah Flash (Assistant Coach)
2012-13: Stanford (Assistant Coach)
2013: Los Angeles D-Fenders (Head Coach)
2013-19: Los Angeles Lakers (Assistant Coach)
2019-23: Utah Valley (Head Coach)
2023-Present: California (Head Coach)
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT MARK MADSEN
“Mark Madsen is an incredible human being. He has a tremendous amount of passion for the game and his players along with remarkable character. I’d be ecstatic to have a son play for him and work with him daily.” – Steve Nash, 2018 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player
"Mark is one of the brightest coaches in college basketball today. Besides his basketball knowledge, the thing that sets Mark apart is his high moral character. He will be a fantastic representative of the Cal family." – Mark D’Antoni, Two-time NBA Coach of the Year
"Mark is one of the hardest working, most knowledgeable coaches I have ever had the pleasure of working with. His attention to details, his passion for the game and his ability to teach have led him to have great success as a coach. On top of that he’s a great man, great friend, and parents will be lucky to have him help lead their kids.” – Luke Walton, Three-time NBA champion and former NBA head coach
“Mark was not just my teammate but my friend. I’m excited to witness all of his success both playing and coaching the game. Mark’s love for basketball is over the top; his willingness to learn the game from coaches and teammates throughout his career has set him up to be a great coach. I’m excited to see what this next chapter brings him.” – Robert Horry, Seven-time NBA champion
"Mark Madsen is one of the best human beings I’ve ever met. I was lucky to be teammates with him in college where he consistently demonstrated leadership, hustle and true friendship each and every day. His drive and positive energy inspired all of us to improve and work harder to achieve our goals. I’m so proud to see the coach he has become and how his players can look to him as an excellent role model for future success in all parts of their lives.” – Jason Collins, 15-year NBA veteran
“Mark was the teammate that every championship-level team must have on it; a player with boundless focus and energy coupled with a high basketball IQ and a willingness to sacrifice for his teammates and the greater team goal. Some people call those players the glue player – I call it the heart and soul of any successful team.” – Rick Fox, Three-time NBA champion
LAST UPDATED: March 18, 2025
