Cal extends Mark Madsen as hot seat rumors ramp up for Stanford's Jerod Haase

There have been murmurs around Palo Alto that head Jerod Haase's days are numbered as the head coach at Stanford.

In year eight at the helm, Stanford has no tournament appearances to show for it, hasn't been ranked since 2007-08, and has just two seasons above .500. With the hot seat noise getting louder, Haase recently urged fans, alumni, and media members to be "curious" in an odd Ted Lasso-inspired rant.

Haase hinted at there being more issues than what people see from the outside looking in, but fans have grown tired of the wasted talented and letdown seasons. It also hasn't helped that former Stanford star Mark Madsen is over at Cal turning around what was one of the worst programs in the country.

Cal coach Mark Madsen

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

After going 3-29 last season, Madsen led Cal to 13 wins in the regular season which is their highest mark since they won 14 in 2020. They also won nine conference games, which is their most since the 2016-17 season as well. The Golden Bears are actually the No. 7 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament, which is who Stanford plays against as the No. 10 seed to open the tournament.

Meaning, that the coach that Stanford fans badly wanted Bernard Muir to hire after last season, who happens to be a former star for the program, is not only succeeding as the coach of their biggest rival but can end Stanford's season. With reports indicating that Haase's time will be done when their season is over, many fans were hoping that Stanford would take a crack at luring Madsen away.

That may have gotten a bit more difficult, as on Tuesday Cal extended Madsen through the 2029-30 season according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

All eyes are on Stanford, to see what happens next with their coaching situation. But first, they have a chance to extend their season another day on Wednesday. According to ESPN, Stanford has a 59.3% chance of beating Cal, who they just beat last Thursday to end the regular season.