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Cal men’s head basketball head coach Ben Braun signed a four-year contract extension this week. The new contract lasts through the 2008-09 season. 

The extension reaffirmed Braun’s commitment to the program. The coach was reportedly a leading candidate for job openings at Michigan and Wisconsin, but declined to submit his name for consideration. 

“We talk to our players about being committed, and it should be no different for coaches. This is my way of committing to a program for the long term,” Braun said. “I think great things are happening at Cal, and I like the direction our program is going.”  

Braun recently completed his fifth season with the Golden Bear program and led Cal to a 20-11 overall record and a berth in the 2001 NCAA Tournament. Overall, Braun has a 95-61 record with the Bears, which includes an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in 1997 and a National Invitation Tournament title in 1999. Braun won Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors in 1997. 

Acting Athletic Director Bob Driscoll announced the extension, holding it as an example of the commitment by the school to improve the program. 

“This new contract extension shows our commitment to Ben Braun and what we’re trying to achieve in our basketball program here at Cal,” Driscoll said. “It provides the continuity necessary to attain national prominence over the next several years.”