College basketball: Grading the 2019 coaching changes

College basketball: Grading the 2019 coaching changes – Who gets an A?

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 29: Head coach Buzz Williams of the Virginia Tech Hokies looks on in the first half of their game against the Duke Blue Devils during the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament East Regional Semifinals at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

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MANHATTAN, KS – JANUARY 27: Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Fox looks on during the Big 12/SEC challenge game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Kansas State Wildcats, on Saturday January 27, 2018 at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, KS (Photo by Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

California: Wyking Jones to Mark Fox

No one can argue with California’s decision to let Wyking Jones go. He only got to seasons after taking over for Cuonzo Martin, but it was obvious the program was headed in the wrong direction.

The Golden Bears made one of the offseason’s most interesting choices in hiring Mark Fox to replace him. Fox had a great run at Nevada before heading across the country to take the Georgia job. His time in the SEC was a nightmare for he and Bulldog fans alike.

Fox probably doesn’t have a ton of upside to offer Cal, but he is a respectable coach who should help elevate the program to the middle of the pack in the Pac-12. The school should be aiming higher than that, but Fox does give the program a relatively high floor moving forward.

Hiring Fox won’t prove to be a disaster in Berkeley, but it’s very likely the school will be looking for a new coach in five or so years. This job has a lot of potential due to its academic standing. Cal officials spent too much time trying to win the press conference when they should have been searching for a young, energetic coach who could really get the program headed in the right direction.

Grade: C-