Missouri Fired Ex-Cal Coach Cuonzo Martin After Five Seasons
Cuonzo Martin, who guided Cal to its most recent NCAA tournament appearance in 2016, has been fired after five seasons as coach at Missouri.
Martin, 50, was 62-39 in three years at Berkeley, twice won at least 20 games and had three winning seasons.
He was hired away from Cal in 2017 by Missouri, which gave him a seven-year contract for $21 million, making him the highest-paid coach in program history.
But his time at Missouri did not go as hoped. The Tigers made just two NCAA appearances in five seasons and lost first-round games both times, including last season. His teams were 78-77 overall and Missouri was 12-21 this season, just 5-13 and 12th place in the 14-team Southeastern Conference.
Martin had a sense his tenure was at an end after the Tigers’ second-round loss to LSU in the SEC tournament on Thursday night.
"Last game coaching? I'm good to go," he said. "I'm at peace with whatever. I don't get consumed with that. I don't worry about that. If that's the best thing for both parties, then that's the best thing for both parties. But I won't waste any time with that. Whatever happens, happens.”
Missouri athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois, who was hired last August, said Martin represented the school with class and dignity. “He is not only a coach,” she said, “but is a teacher, and he has impacted the lives of every student-athlete who came through the program over the last five years.”
Martin has always received consistently high marks in those areas, and many of his colleagues came to his defense this week.
"When is the last time you read about Cuonzo Martin's teams in any kind of negative connote?'' South Carolina coach Frank Martin said. "When is the last time you read a player for Cuonzo Martin in any kind of negative connote? You're not. He just came off an NCAA tournament (in 2021), and people start talking like that? That's sad. This business isn't right if that's the way we go.''
Kansas coach Bill Self added, "I feel bad for Cuonzo. I think he's a really good coach. I think he's a better guy, and I'm sure he'll land on his feet.’'
But college basketball is a bottom-line business. And as great as Martin is off the floor, Missouri didn’t pay him $3 million per season never to win an NCAA tournament game.
Cal was able to pry him away from Tennessee only because fans there mounted a vigorous campaign to have him fired after failing to reach the NCAAs his first two seasons. Martin’s final Volunteers team made a run to the Elite 8 in the 2014 NCAA tournament, but he was ready for a new landscape and the Bears hired him.
In three seasons at Berkeley, his teams never reached elite status despite a wealth of talent.
With players including Jaylen Brown, Ivan Rabb, Tyrone Wallace, Jabari Bird and Jordan Mathews, the Bears lost their only NCAA game under Martin, whose teams excelled on defense, not so much on offense.
This year’s Missouri team ranked last in the SEC and 303rd nationally in scoring, averaging just 65.5 points.
Cover photo of Cuonzo Martin by Jay Biggerstaff, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
