UVU announces Mark Madsen will leave program for head coaching position at Cal
After four seasons with the Utah Valley University men’s basketball team, head coach Mark Madsen is returning home to the Bay area after accepting a head coaching job at the University of California Berkeley.
Madsen and the Wolverines are coming off of a heartbreaking loss in the National Invitation Tournament semifinal to University of Alabama Birmingham 88-86 in overtime to end their 2022-23 campaign. The Wolverines finished the season 28-9, the most wins in school history and 15-3 in conference play earning the Western Athletic Conference regular season title, Madsen’s second with the program. Madsen holds all three of the university’s NIT wins in the run to the semi-final with included wins over New Mexico, Colorado, and Cincinnati.
“Mark Madsen has taken our program to unprecedented never-seen-before heights,” said Utah Valley Athletic director Dr. Jared Sumsion. “I appreciate how much he cared about our student-athletes, and we thank him for his service to our program. We wish him and his family the very best in his new role at Cal.” per
Under Madsen UVU’s teams improved year to year. The Wolverines went 11-19 record in Madsen’s first year with the Wolverines. A 11-11 season in 2020-21 followed Madsen’s inaugural season. The 20 wins threshold was hit in the 2021-22 season with a record of 20-12, and Madsen ended his time with the Wolverines with a 28-9 season in 2022-23, the programs best. In total the Wolveries went 70-51 and 39-25 in WAC play under Madsen’s four year tenure. Madsen captured two WAC regular season championships in 2021 and 2023.
UVU’s back-to-back 20 win seasons captured some of the university’s biggest moments. Madsen lead the Wolverines to back-to-back wins over UCCU crosstown rival BYU capturing the program’s first win over an AP ranked team after defeating a #12 ranked BYU in 2021. Madsen holds three of the five wins in program history over Power 6 opponents with wins over Washington, Oregon, and Colorado spread over the two seasons.
The Stanford alum averaged 10.9 points per game and 7 rebounds per game during his four seasons with the Cardinal before being drafted in the first round to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. Madsen contributed to the Lakers’ NBA championships in 2001 and 2002 and became infamously known for his dancing at the championship victory parade. Now Madsen returns home to coach his alumni’s rival the California Golden Bears. Madsen has his work cut out for him, taking over a program who went 3-29 and 2-18 in PAC 12 play last season.
For more information visit go.uvu.edu
Josh is a senior at UVU, studying Communications and graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Communications in Spring 2023. Along with writing for the Review, Josh is a member of UVU’s PRSSA Chapter. Josh will be pursuing sports media after his time at UVU is complete.