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Report: Tennessee’s Martin accepts Cal job

Alan Draper profile picture
Sports Editor
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Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin has agreed in principle to become the next head coach at California, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday.

ESPN.com initially reported the development and the report was confirmed by CBSSports.com.

Martin just finished his third season at Tennessee. He led the Volunteers to 24 wins and a trip to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Martin was previously considered a candidate at Marquette, then publicly stated that he planned to stay at Tennessee, but that changed when California offered him the job.

Mike Montgomery announced his retirement at Cal on April 1. Montgomery, 67, posted a 130-73 record at Cal, taking the Bears to the NCAA Tournament in four of his six seasons, though they failed to reach the tournament this season. The Bears finished 21-14, including 10-8 in the Pac-12. They won two games in the NIT before losing to SMU.

Tennessee announced earlier this month that it was working on adjusting the contract of Martin.

“Tennessee is where I want to be,” Martin said at the time. “That has never changed.”

Martin has a 63-41 record, including two NIT berths and the 2014 NCAA Tournament appearance. The Vols lost to Michigan 73-71 in a regional semifinal.

Martin’s current contract with Tennessee runs through the 2015-16 season and pays him $1.35 million per year, which ranks among the bottom half of coaches in the Southeastern Conference.

Alan is an expert gambling writer who works as one of the chief editors for Basketball Insiders. He has been covering online gambling and sports betting for over 8 years, having written for the likes of Sportlens, Compare.bet, The Sports Daily, 90min, and TopRatedCasinos.co.uk. His particular specialisms include US online casinos and gambling regulations, and soccer and basketball betting. Based in London, Alan holds an MA in English Literature and is a passionate supporter of Chelsea FC.

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