California Golden Bears
Encyclopedia
The California Golden Bears is the nickname used for 29 varsity athletic programs and various club teams of the University of California, Berkeley
. Referred to in athletic competition as California or Cal, the university competes in the NCAA
's Division I primarily as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, and for a limited number of sports as a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
(MPSF). Over the course of the school's history, California has won team national titles in 19 different sports and 82 team titles overall. Cal athletes have also competed in the Olympics
for a host of different countries. Notable facilities used by the Bears include California Memorial Stadium
(football) and Haas Pavilion
(basketball and other indoor sports). Cal finished the 2010–11 athletic season with 1,219.50 points, earning third place in the Director's Cup standings, the Golden Bears' highest finish ever. Cal did not receive any points for their national championships in rugby and men's crew because those sports are not governed by the NCAA.
Men's Programs
Women's Programs
In all, the California Golden Bears have 82 team national championships (32 in sports governed by the NCAA
), 147 individual national championships, 14 Tennis Doubles National Championships, 35 Relay National Championships, and 47 National Championship Boats.
(since 1923); however, the team will play at San Francisco's AT&T Park
in 2011 while Memorial Stadium is being renovated. The team also has produced two of the oddest and most memorable plays in college football: Roy "Wrong Way" Riegels
' fumble recovery and run toward the Cal goal line in the 1929 Rose Bowl, and The Play
in the 1982 Big Game
with the winning kickoff return after five laterals. The program is nationally renowned despite not participating in a BCS Bowl since 1959 and has been consistently ranked nationally during the past decade. The program has also produced many current NFL stars including, but not limited to: Aaron Rodgers
(2011 Super Bowl MVP), Tony Gonzalez
, Ryan Longwell
, Marshawn Lynch
, DeSean Jackson
, Desmond Bishop
, and Jahvid Best
. The current head coach is Jeff Tedford
, who began his tenure in 2002.
, which was built on top of the old Harmon Gymnasium using money donated in part by the owners of Levi-Strauss. The current head coach of California men's basketball is Mike Montgomery
, and the current head coach of California women's basketball is Lindsay Gottlieb.
Nibs Price would coach Cal with great success for 30 years from 1924 to 1954, earning a 449-294 total record, many single season winning records, and an additional 3 conference titles in the 1930s and 1940s.
Cal reached the pinnacle of the sport during the tenure of Pete Newell
, who was head coach from 1955 to 1960. The Golden Bears earned the conference title four out of his five years and in 1959, won the NCAA title
. In Newell's last year, Cal came close to another NCAA title, but lost to Ohio State
in the final.
The fortunes of Cal men's basketball would never be the same after Pete Newell; Cal did not win the conference title until fifty years after his departure. The 1970's and 1980's were for the most part down years for the program, despite having players such as Kevin Johnson
. Lou Campanelli
served as head coach from 1986 - 1993. The highlight of this era was a 75–67 victory over UCLA in 1986 that ended a 25-year, 52 game losing streak to the Bruins. Campanelli in his first season took the Golden Bears to the 1986 National Invitation Tournament
, the first post season play since 1960.
Cal achieved much better success in the 1990's, qualifying for the NCAA tournament
five times with future NBA players Jason Kidd
and Lamond Murray
, as well as future perennial All-Pro NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez in the early and mid 1990's and Sean Lampley
and Shareef Abdur-Rahim
in the late 1990's. Cal also won the 1999 National Invitation Tournament
, with a thrilling 61-60 victory over Clemson
in the title game.
In 2006, the Golden Bears reached their first Pacific Life
Pac-10 Men's Basketball Tournament championship game. Power forward Leon Powe
grabbed a tournament-record 20 rebounds against USC in the first round and then scored a tournament-record 41 points in a double-overtime victory versus Oregon in the semi-finals. Despite California's 71-52 loss to UCLA in the final game, Powe was named Most Valuable Player for the tournament.
From 1996–2008, under Ben Braun
, Cal qualified for the NCAA tournament three straight times in the 2000s and six times overall. However, after finishing near the bottom of the Pac-10 for the second straight year, Braun was dismissed in late March 2008. The former coach of rival Stanford, Mike Montgomery
, succeeded Braun. In his first year the Bears finished tied for third in the Pac-10 and made it to the NCAA Tournament
, where they were eliminated in the first round to the Maryland Terrapins
.
In Montgomery's second season, the Bears won their first conference title in 50 years. The team, featuring four seniors as starters, only lost one game at Haas Pavilion but had a rough non-conference schedule featuring losses to elite teams such as Kansas
, Ohio State, and Syracuse
, which quickly knocked them out of the national rankings after being ranked #13 in the pre-season. Despite losing the Pac-10 tournament, and questions on whether even the conference champion of a down Pac-10 conference would receive an at-large bid to the tournament, the Bears qualified for their second straight NCAA bid as a #8 seed. They were able to one-up their previous season by winning their first round matchup against the Louisville Cardinals
but fell to the eventual national champions, Duke
, in the second round. Senior Jerome Randle
finished the season and his career as Cal's all-time leading scorer.
went into effect. The longest tenured coach in Cal history was Gooch Foster, who captained the team from 1979 to 1996. Cal was quite successful during this period; it won the conference twice in a row, and had 11 winning seasons. Since the early 1990s and through the early 2000s, however, success has been hard to come by, as the Bears have had only three winning seasons, including the recently completed 2005–2006 season. Lindsay Gottlieb is the head coach, hired in 2011 from the University of California, Santa Barbara
.
In 2006–2007, Cal women's basketball began a resurgence, with its first 20 win season since 1992, a second straight trip to the NCAA Women's Tournament, beating Stanford and ending their 50 game Pac-10 winning streak at Maples Pavilion
, a No. 25 ranking in the final USA Today–ESPN women's basketball poll, and Boyle and Devannei Hampton receiving Pac-10 Coach and Player of the Year trophies, respectively.
In 2007–08, Cal tied the 1983–84 Bears for the most wins in school history (24-4, with one game remaining in the regular season). The Bears have been ranked as high as 8th in the national polls and set a Pac-10 record attendance in women's basketball with 10,525 witnessing Cal's 60-58 loss to Stanford at Haas Pavilion.
2008-09 was the best season for Cal women, as the team led by seniors Ashley Walker
and Devanei Hampton completed a successful 15-3 conference record. They had reeled off 11 straight wins to open the season, including a home win over rival Stanford (their first home win against the Cardinal in over 20 years), but fell to the Cardinal in the rematch on the road, and later suffered back to back losses towards the end of the season that took them out of the running for the conference title. Despite a heartbreaking early exit from the Pac-10 tournament at the hands of Southern California, the Bears completed a successful tournament run as the Bears saw their first Sweet 16 in school history. They went up against the undefeated UConn Huskies
and even had a nice lead in the opening minutes but ultimately fell to the eventual national champions.
In 2009-10 the Bears brought in a top 10 recruiting class to make up for the losses of Walker and Hampton. The young Bears (the starting lineup during conference play featured four freshmen along with star senior Alexis Gray-Lawson
) had an up and down year, going 6-5 in non-conference play including a home loss to nearby San Jose State
. After an 0-3 conference start that left them two games under .500, the Bears started to find their form, going 12-5 the rest of the way including the Pac-10 tournament. However, the second half success was not enough for an NCAA tournament bid and Cal wound up settling for the WNIT
. Although Alexis Gray-Lawson had to sit out the NIT opener because of an injury suffered in the Pac-10 tournament, the Bears edged UC Davis
in overtime. Gray-Lawson returned for round 2, and the Bears romped through the remaining games against Utah
, Oregon
, BYU, Illinois State
and finally Miami (FL)
in the championship game at home to win the tournament
. (It was the first ever championship game held at Haas Pavilion.) Gray-Lawson ended her career as the all-time Cal leader in three points made and games played.
, located between Haas Pavilion, the Recreational Sports Facility, and Edward's Track Stadium. Cal has appeared in the post-season a total of nine times, including five times in the College World Series
; Cal won the title in 1947 and 1957. Perhaps the most famous Cal player was second baseman Jeff Kent
, who led the Golden Bears to the 1988 World Series, and would go on to be named the 2000 National League
Most Valuable Player
as a member of the San Francisco Giants
. Shortstop Geoff Blum
of Cal's 1992 College World Series team hit the game-winning home run in the 14th inning of a 2005 World Series
game for the Chicago White Sox
.
In September 2010, the university announced that baseball would be one of five sports cut as a cost-cutting measure. However, in April 2011, after receiving more than $9 million in pledges from supporters of the program, the program was reinstated.
began play at Cal in 1882 and continued until 1886, when it was ditched in favor of American Football
. Rugby would make a return in 1906 after football was deemed too dangerous to play. From 1906 to 1914, Cal rugby garnered a respectable 78-21-10 record. 1914, however, saw the return of football and Cal would not field a rugby team for almost 20 years. In 1931, rugby returned under alumnus Ed Graff. It was during this time that Cal began to compete for the World Cup, which is awarded to the winner of the annual series between Cal and the University of British Columbia, though UBC is not Canada's strongest university side (University of Victoria).
1938 began the era of Miles "Doc" Hudson, who guided the Bears for 37 years and an incredible record of 339-84-23. His successor would be Ned Anderson, an alumnus and former rugger for the Bears.
National collegiate championships for rugby union began in 1980 and Cal has been utterly dominant, winning 26 titles (runners-up once) out of a possible 32. Under Anderson, Cal reeled off four consecutive titles from 1980 to 1983. Current head coach and Cal alumnus Jack Clark took over the team in 1984, and has achieved even more prolonged success, leading the Bears to 22 national titles including a string of twelve consecutive championships from 1991 to 2002 and five more from 2004 to 2008.
In September 2010, the university announced that rugby would be one of five varsity sports cut as a cost-cutting measure, though the team would have continued to represent the university as a "varsity club sport," which was to be defined by the university administration. A large group of rugby supporters organized and dispute the relegation (www.savecalrugby.com) On February 11, 2011, the administration reversed its decision on rugby and two other sports, meaning that rugby will continue as a varsity sport.
was the very first sport at the University of California. Since then it has become one of the most consistently successful Cal varsity programs. Women's crew began in 1974 and it has also become a perennial contender.
Unlike most other sports at Cal where Stanford is considered their chief rival, the Crew's traditional rival is the University of Washington, also consistently one of the best crews in the country.
, who guided the Bears for 36 years from 1924 to 1959. During his tenure, Cal crew became known for success not only on the collegiate level, but also on the international level. In 1928, Cal fielded one of the most dominant crews in history, as the Bears went undefeated in the United States to win the national championship, earned the right to compete as the United States entry in the Amsterdam Olympics
, and subsequently won the gold medal. Cal would represent the United States two more times at the 1932
and 1948 Summer Games
, coming away with the gold on both occasions. Ebright ultimately led the Bears to nine conference championships and six Intercollegiate Rowing Association
championships, with the 1939 squad being arguably the best by setting the still-standing (as of 2006) four mile course record at the IRA.
Cal maintained its success during the 1960s under coach Jim Lemmon, who in seven years, led the Bears to three more conference and national championships. In the early 1970s, Cal's lightweight men formed their own club team, California Lightweight Crew
, while still rowing out of the same boathouse. The earlier success of Cal men's crew faded a little in the 1970s and 1980s, but the Bears did win another national title and three more conference titles.
Steve Gladstone
's second stint as coach (his first was from 1973–1980) began in 1997 when he and then-freshman coach Craig Amerkhanian
resurrected the men's crew program. The Bears have won seven conference titles five straight conference championships from 1998-2002 along with 2005 and 2006. They have also won six Intercollegiate Rowing Association
titles, four in a row in 1999–2002, again in 2006, and most recently in 2010.
. However, Cal could not keep up its early success and saw average success for almost the next 20 years. Cal's second renaissance began in the late 1990s, when current coach Dave O'Neill took over the program. Under O'Neill Cal has been invited to the NCAA Rowing Championship
the last eight years and won back to back national championships in 2005 and 2006. In 2005 Cal also took the Varsity 8 race, the premier event at the championship.
, perhaps Cal's most successful coach, presided during the long supremacy of Southern California
's track and field program http://usctrojans.cstv.com/sports/m-otrack/archive/052998aaa.html that precluded winning team titles. Hamilton coached from 1933 to 1965 (with a three year break during World War II
). His predecessor, Walter Christie, coached for 32 years, starting in 1901.
The Bears have had numerous notable performers, including:
Other notable alumni include:
Cal track and field athletes have won 12 medals in the Olympics, including six golds. Hamilton was the head Olympic coach in 1948, and Erv Hunt the head coach in 1996.
Edwards Stadium
, located in the lower southwestern corner of the main campus, is the largest track and field-only stadium in the U.S., able to seat in excess of 22,000. Edwards Stadium has hosted eight NCAA championship meets, a National AAU Championship, and the 1971 and '78 USA vs. USSR dual-meets, amongst others. There have been 12 world records (including records by Dutch Warmerdam (pole vault), Jim Ryun
(one mile) and Henry Rono
(5000 meters)), 26 American records and 24 collegiate records set at Edwards.
club level as a member of the Pacific 8 Intercollegiate Hockey Conference
. The team is coached by Cyril Allen, who took over as head coach in 2001.
The Big Freeze is a bi-annual bay area rival between California and Stanford University. It is the fourth most attended event at Cal behind only to its football and men's and women's basketball programs.
California Ice Hockey currently plays at Oakland Ice Center in Oakland, Ca. Berkeley Iceland is currently being repurchased through the community with efforts being led by Cal's Coach, Cyril Allen.
Cal volleyball is coached by Rich Feller. In 2010, he was named the AVCA National Coach of the Year as Cal finished as NCAA runners-up.
Cal completed its most successful season in 2010, as they won the Pac-10 title for the first time in school history and advanced to the 2010 NCAA Championship
final, where they fell to Penn State. Senior setter Carli Lloyd was named the 2010 AVCA National Player of the Year and Feller was named the National Coach of the Year.
In 2007, Cal reached the final four for the first time in school history before falling to eventual national champion Penn State in the semifinals. Not only did they reach the final four, in their run they were able to defeat defending champion and #2 seed Nebraska
, who were the favorites to repeat as champions, in the regional final round, in a sweep (3-0).
In 2007, Senior outside hitter Angie Pressey, the daughter of NBA player Paul Pressey
, garnered AVCA First Team All-American honors, and was the only Cal player in history to be named to the Pac-10 All-Conference team all four years. Hana Cutura was named the 2007 regional MVP for her helping Cal reach the final four.
team has won 13 national championships
, including the back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007.
On February 28, 2010, the women's team played the longest match in NCAA women’s water polo history, losing 7–6 to UCLA at the UC Irvine Invitational.
in a variety of different sports and have represented a diverse group of nations, despite the fact that the university is located in the United States
. In the first half of the 20th century, Cal's Olympics presence was felt mainly in the sports of rugby union
and crew
. The gold medal winning American rugby teams of the 1920
and 1924 Summer Olympics
were made up of many Cal players who were displaced following the school's decision to support American football, rather than rugby http://calbears.collegesports.com/sports/m-rugby/archive/cal-m-rugby-a-history.html. In men's crew, Cal's team won gold for the United States three times – at the 1928
, 1932
, and 1948 Summer Olympics
. To date, this is more than any other college or university in the world.
http://calbears.collegesports.com/sports/m-crew/archive/cal-m-crew-bearhist.html
From the second half of the 20th century and through to the 21st Century, Cal has been a huge presence in the water sports of swimming
, diving
, and water Polo
. Cal swimmers have represented an eclectic group of nations, including Thailand
, Poland
, Croatia
, Serbia
, Slovenia
, Lithuania
, Switzerland
, and Sweden
. Two of the most well-known Cal Olympic swimmers in the past 20 years are Matt Biondi
and Natalie Coughlin
. Matt Biondi began his Olympic career with a gold as a member of the 400 free relay team at the 1984 Summer Olympics
, but became an outright star four years later when he garnered an amazing seven medals (five gold, one silver, and one bronze) at the 1988 Summer Olympics
. He would follow up that effort with four medals (2 gold, one silver, and one bronze) at the 1992 games
for a career total of 11 medals, 8 of them gold.
Over a decade later, Coughlin would become another Olympic swimming icon with Cal heritage after an impressive performance at the 2004 Athens Games
. Individually and in relays, she won five medals (2 gold, 2 silver, one bronze) as a United States representative. Furthermore, Duje Draganja
won silver in 50 meters freestyle at the same Olympics, representing Croatia
. The Bears would capture 17 medals in the 2008 Summer Olympics
, paced by six more medals from Coughlin. The 17 medals set a school record.
In aquatic collegiate competition, Cal has an emerging powerhouse program in team swimming and diving. Recently, both genders in swimming and diving have won the 2011 NCAA national championships. Including the championships won in 1979 and 1980, the men have won three. The women have won two, including the 2009 championship.
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. Referred to in athletic competition as California or Cal, the university competes in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Division I primarily as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, and for a limited number of sports as a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation is a college athletic conference whose member teams are located in the western United States. The conference participates at the NCAA Division I level.-History:...
(MPSF). Over the course of the school's history, California has won team national titles in 19 different sports and 82 team titles overall. Cal athletes have also competed in the Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
for a host of different countries. Notable facilities used by the Bears include California Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley. Commonly known as Memorial Stadium, it is the home field for the University of California Golden Bears of the Pacific-12 Conference...
(football) and Haas Pavilion
Haas Pavilion
The Walter A. Haas, Jr. Pavilion is the home of the University of California's men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, and men's and women's gymnastics teams...
(basketball and other indoor sports). Cal finished the 2010–11 athletic season with 1,219.50 points, earning third place in the Director's Cup standings, the Golden Bears' highest finish ever. Cal did not receive any points for their national championships in rugby and men's crew because those sports are not governed by the NCAA.
Varsity programs
Men's Programs
- BaseballCalifornia Golden Bears baseballThe California Golden Bears baseball team represents the University of California in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other California athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Pacific-12 Conference...
(2 College World Series Championships) - Basketball (1 National Championship)
- Crew (16 IRAIntercollegiate Rowing AssociationThe Intercollegiate Rowing Association runs the IRA Championship Regatta, which is considered to be the United States collegiate national championship of rowing. Since 1995, it has been held on the Cooper River in Pennsauken, New Jersey, and includes both men's and women's events for sweep boats...
and 42 Boat National Championships) - Cross Country
- FootballCalifornia Golden Bears footballThe California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
(5 National Championships Claimed) - Golf (1 Team National Championship)
- Gymnastics (4 Team and 29 Individual National Championships)
- Rugby (26 Collegiate RugbyUSA RugbyUSA Rugby is the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United States. It is divided into seven territorial Unions: Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Pacific Coast, Southern California, South, and West...
National Championships) - Soccer
- Swimming & Diving (3 Team, 45 Individual, and 21 Relay National Championships)
- Tennis (1 NCAANational Collegiate Athletic AssociationThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
, 2 ITAIntercollegiate Tennis AssociationThe Intercollegiate Tennis Association is an organization of 1,500 coaches and 15,000 collegiate tennis players, encompassing more than 1,000 college tennis programs...
, 2 Individual, and 9 Doubles National Championships) - Indoor Track & Field
- Outdoor Track & Field (2 Team, 26 Individual, and 3 Relay National Championships)
- Water Polo (13 National Championships)
- Now Defunct:
- Boxing
- Wrestling (1 Individual National Championship)
Women's Programs
- Basketball
- Crew (1 NWRA, 2 NCAANational Collegiate Athletic AssociationThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
, and 5 Boat National Championships) - Cross County
- Field Hockey
- Golf (1 Individual National Championship)
- Gymnastics
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
- Softball (1 Women's College World Series Championship)
- Swimming & Diving (2 Team, 31 Individual, and 11 Relay National Championships)
- Tennis (2 Individual and 5 Doubles National Championships)
- Indoor Track & Field (3 Individual National Championships)
- Outdoor Track & Field (7 Individual National Championships)
- Volleyball
- Water Polo
In all, the California Golden Bears have 82 team national championships (32 in sports governed by the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
), 147 individual national championships, 14 Tennis Doubles National Championships, 35 Relay National Championships, and 47 National Championship Boats.
Football
The California football team began play in 1882 and plays its home games at California Memorial StadiumCalifornia Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley. Commonly known as Memorial Stadium, it is the home field for the University of California Golden Bears of the Pacific-12 Conference...
(since 1923); however, the team will play at San Francisco's AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
in 2011 while Memorial Stadium is being renovated. The team also has produced two of the oddest and most memorable plays in college football: Roy "Wrong Way" Riegels
Roy Riegels
Roy "Wrong Way" Riegels played for the University of California, Berkeley football team from 1927 to 1929...
' fumble recovery and run toward the Cal goal line in the 1929 Rose Bowl, and The Play
The Play
The Play refers to a last-second kickoff return during a college football game between the and the Stanford University Cardinal on Saturday, November 20, 1982...
in the 1982 Big Game
Big Game (football)
The Big Game is an American college football rivalry game played by the California Golden Bears football team of the University of California, Berkeley and the Stanford Cardinal football team of Stanford University. It is typically played in late November or early December...
with the winning kickoff return after five laterals. The program is nationally renowned despite not participating in a BCS Bowl since 1959 and has been consistently ranked nationally during the past decade. The program has also produced many current NFL stars including, but not limited to: Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . Rodgers was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Packers...
(2011 Super Bowl MVP), Tony Gonzalez
Tony Gonzalez
Tony Gonzalez is the name of:*Tony González , former Major League Baseball outfielder*Tony Gonzalez , tight end for the Atlanta Falcons*Tony Gonzalez , free agent wide receiver...
, Ryan Longwell
Ryan Longwell
Ryan Walker Longwell is an American football placekicker for the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League. After playing college football for the California Golden Bears, he started his professional football career with the San Francisco 49ers, but never played a game for the franchise...
, Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...
, DeSean Jackson
DeSean Jackson
Going to the 2008 NFL Draft Jackson was considered one of the top ten wide receivers available in a draft class littered with talented wide outs. The only knock on Jackson was his small frame, being measured at 5'9¾ " and just over 170 pounds. During the pre-draft period, Hall of Fame wide receiver...
, Desmond Bishop
Desmond Bishop
Desmond Lamont Bishop is an American football linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Packers in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at California....
, and Jahvid Best
Jahvid Best
Jahvid Andre Best is a running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was selected by the Lions with the 30th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. In college, he played for the California Golden Bears, setting several records, including most all-purpose yards in a single season and...
. The current head coach is Jeff Tedford
Jeff Tedford
Jeff Tedford is an American football coach and the current head coach of the California Golden Bears football team, a position he has held since 2002. As a first-time head coach, Tedford has won wide acclaim for revitalizing the Cal football program...
, who began his tenure in 2002.
| National Championships Claimed (5) | 1920 • 1921 • 1922 • 1923 • 1937 |
| Conference Titles (14) * indicates shared title. |
1918 • 1920 • 1921 • 1922 • 1923 • 1935* • 1937 1938* • 1948* • 1949 • 1950 • 1958 • 1975* • 2006* |
Softball
In 2002, the Cal softball team won its first National Championship against Arizona. Some notable players include Candace Harper, third baseman, and Jocelyn Forest, pitcher, both of whom were team captains. The Women's College World Series took place in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.Basketball
Cal basketball's home court is Haas PavilionHaas Pavilion
The Walter A. Haas, Jr. Pavilion is the home of the University of California's men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, and men's and women's gymnastics teams...
, which was built on top of the old Harmon Gymnasium using money donated in part by the owners of Levi-Strauss. The current head coach of California men's basketball is Mike Montgomery
Mike Montgomery
Mike Montgomery is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the California Golden Bears men's basketball team. He was also the men's basketball coach of at Stanford from 1986 to 2004 and at the University of Montana for eight seasons prior to coaching at Stanford...
, and the current head coach of California women's basketball is Lindsay Gottlieb.
| Cal basketball | |
| NCAA Championships (1) | 1959 |
| NIT Championships (1) | 1999 |
| Conference Titles (15) *indicates shared title | 1916* • 1921* • 1924 • 1925 • 1926 • 1927 • 19291932 • 1944* • 1946 • 1957 • 1958* • 1959 • 1960• 2010 |
| NCAA TournamentAppearances *Final Four appearance ^ |
1946* • 1957 • 1958 • 1959* • 1960* • 1990 • 19931994 • 1996^ • 1997 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2006• 2009 • 2010 |
| Women's Conference Titles (2) | 1981 • 1982 |
| Women's NIT Titles (1) | 2010 |
| Retired Basketball Jerseys | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | Player | Year |
| 4 | Al Grigsby | 1997 |
| 5 | Jason Kidd Jason Kidd Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas... |
2004 |
| 11 | Kevin Johnson Kevin Johnson Kevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns... |
1992 |
| 40 | Darrall Imhoff Darrall Imhoff Darrall Tucker Imhoff is an American former professional basketball player. He spent twelve seasons in the NBA , playing for half a dozen teams... |
2009 |
Men's basketball history
The Golden Bears first played basketball intercollegiately in 1907 and began full conference play in 1915. The 1920s was the dominant decade for Cal basketball, as the Bears won 6 conference titles under coaches E.H. Wright and Nibs Price.Nibs Price would coach Cal with great success for 30 years from 1924 to 1954, earning a 449-294 total record, many single season winning records, and an additional 3 conference titles in the 1930s and 1940s.
Cal reached the pinnacle of the sport during the tenure of Pete Newell
Pete Newell
Peter Francis Newell was an American college men's basketball coach and basketball instructional coach. He coached for 15 years at the University of San Francisco, Michigan State University and the University of California, Berkeley, compiling an overall record of 234 wins and 123 losses...
, who was head coach from 1955 to 1960. The Golden Bears earned the conference title four out of his five years and in 1959, won the NCAA title
1959 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1959 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball in the United States. It began on March 7, 1959, and ended with the championship game on March 21 in Louisville,...
. In Newell's last year, Cal came close to another NCAA title, but lost to Ohio State
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in the final.
The fortunes of Cal men's basketball would never be the same after Pete Newell; Cal did not win the conference title until fifty years after his departure. The 1970's and 1980's were for the most part down years for the program, despite having players such as Kevin Johnson
Kevin Johnson
Kevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns...
. Lou Campanelli
Lou Campanelli
Lou Campanelli is an American basketball coach. He served as head coach at University of California, Berkeley from 1986 to 1993.Campanelli played a significant role in Pac-10 men's basketball, having served as head basketball coach at California for eight years from 1985-93. He compiled a record of...
served as head coach from 1986 - 1993. The highlight of this era was a 75–67 victory over UCLA in 1986 that ended a 25-year, 52 game losing streak to the Bruins. Campanelli in his first season took the Golden Bears to the 1986 National Invitation Tournament
1986 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Louisiana Tech 67, Florida 62...
, the first post season play since 1960.
Cal achieved much better success in the 1990's, qualifying for the NCAA tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
five times with future NBA players Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
and Lamond Murray
Lamond Murray
Lamond Maurice Murray is an American professional basketball player who last played with the NBA's New Jersey Nets. In 2009, Lamond Murray joined the Bahrain Basketball Association in Bahrain...
, as well as future perennial All-Pro NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez in the early and mid 1990's and Sean Lampley
Sean Lampley
Sean Lampley is an American professional basketball player.-College career:Lampley played at the University of California, leading the Golden Bears to victory over Clemson in the 1999 National Invitational Tournament and earning MVP honors...
and Shareef Abdur-Rahim
Shareef Abdur-Rahim
Shareef Abdur-Rahim is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant general manager for the Sacramento Kings. He last played for the Kings of the National Basketball Association . On the basketball court, he played both forward or center positions. Abdur-Rahim was a...
in the late 1990's. Cal also won the 1999 National Invitation Tournament
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
, with a thrilling 61-60 victory over Clemson
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
in the title game.
In 2006, the Golden Bears reached their first Pacific Life
Pacific Life
Pacific Life Insurance Company is an insurance company providing life insurance products, annuities, and mutual funds, and offers to individuals, businesses, and pension plans a variety of investment products and services. Pacific Life also counts more than half of the 100 largest U.S...
Pac-10 Men's Basketball Tournament championship game. Power forward Leon Powe
Leon Powe
Leon Powe, Jr. is an American professional basketball power forward who last played for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association . Drafted in 2006 by the Denver Nuggets, Powe grew up in Oakland, California and played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley...
grabbed a tournament-record 20 rebounds against USC in the first round and then scored a tournament-record 41 points in a double-overtime victory versus Oregon in the semi-finals. Despite California's 71-52 loss to UCLA in the final game, Powe was named Most Valuable Player for the tournament.
From 1996–2008, under Ben Braun
Ben Braun
Ben Braun is the men's college basketball coach at Rice University. He previously spent 12 years with the California Golden Bears program and 11 years at Eastern Michigan University, where he remains the winningest coach in school history.-Coaching History:...
, Cal qualified for the NCAA tournament three straight times in the 2000s and six times overall. However, after finishing near the bottom of the Pac-10 for the second straight year, Braun was dismissed in late March 2008. The former coach of rival Stanford, Mike Montgomery
Mike Montgomery
Mike Montgomery is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the California Golden Bears men's basketball team. He was also the men's basketball coach of at Stanford from 1986 to 2004 and at the University of Montana for eight seasons prior to coaching at Stanford...
, succeeded Braun. In his first year the Bears finished tied for third in the Pac-10 and made it to the NCAA Tournament
2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
, where they were eliminated in the first round to the Maryland Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins
The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 27 men's and women's athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
.
In Montgomery's second season, the Bears won their first conference title in 50 years. The team, featuring four seniors as starters, only lost one game at Haas Pavilion but had a rough non-conference schedule featuring losses to elite teams such as Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, Ohio State, and Syracuse
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, which quickly knocked them out of the national rankings after being ranked #13 in the pre-season. Despite losing the Pac-10 tournament, and questions on whether even the conference champion of a down Pac-10 conference would receive an at-large bid to the tournament, the Bears qualified for their second straight NCAA bid as a #8 seed. They were able to one-up their previous season by winning their first round matchup against the Louisville Cardinals
Louisville Cardinals
The Louisville Cardinals are the athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. A member of the Big East Conference since 2005, they are known nationally as traditional powers in men's basketball, women's volleyball, and dance team...
but fell to the eventual national champions, Duke
Duke Blue Devils
Duke University's 26 varsity sports teams, known as the Blue Devils, compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The name comes from the French "les Diables Bleus" or "the Blue Devils," which was the nickname given during World War I to the Chasseurs Alpins, the French Alpine light infantry...
, in the second round. Senior Jerome Randle
Jerome Randle
Jerome J. Randle is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for Türk Telekom B.K. in the Turkish Basketball League.- College career :...
finished the season and his career as Cal's all-time leading scorer.
Women's basketball history
The first season of women's basketball at Cal was played from 1972–1973, right after Title IXTitle IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...
went into effect. The longest tenured coach in Cal history was Gooch Foster, who captained the team from 1979 to 1996. Cal was quite successful during this period; it won the conference twice in a row, and had 11 winning seasons. Since the early 1990s and through the early 2000s, however, success has been hard to come by, as the Bears have had only three winning seasons, including the recently completed 2005–2006 season. Lindsay Gottlieb is the head coach, hired in 2011 from the University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
.
In 2006–2007, Cal women's basketball began a resurgence, with its first 20 win season since 1992, a second straight trip to the NCAA Women's Tournament, beating Stanford and ending their 50 game Pac-10 winning streak at Maples Pavilion
Maples Pavilion
Maples Pavilion is a 7,392-seat multi-purpose arena in Stanford, California built in 1968. Maples underwent a $30 million renovation in March 2004, which wrapped up in time for conference play in December of that year...
, a No. 25 ranking in the final USA Today–ESPN women's basketball poll, and Boyle and Devannei Hampton receiving Pac-10 Coach and Player of the Year trophies, respectively.
In 2007–08, Cal tied the 1983–84 Bears for the most wins in school history (24-4, with one game remaining in the regular season). The Bears have been ranked as high as 8th in the national polls and set a Pac-10 record attendance in women's basketball with 10,525 witnessing Cal's 60-58 loss to Stanford at Haas Pavilion.
2008-09 was the best season for Cal women, as the team led by seniors Ashley Walker
Ashley Walker (basketball)
Ashley Walker is an American professional basketball player. She plays the forward position for the Maccabi Bnot Ashdod in the Ligat Ha'al.-Personal life:...
and Devanei Hampton completed a successful 15-3 conference record. They had reeled off 11 straight wins to open the season, including a home win over rival Stanford (their first home win against the Cardinal in over 20 years), but fell to the Cardinal in the rematch on the road, and later suffered back to back losses towards the end of the season that took them out of the running for the conference title. Despite a heartbreaking early exit from the Pac-10 tournament at the hands of Southern California, the Bears completed a successful tournament run as the Bears saw their first Sweet 16 in school history. They went up against the undefeated UConn Huskies
Connecticut Huskies women's basketball
The Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represents the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut in NCAA women's basketball competition. Under head coach Geno Auriemma, the Huskies have won 7 NCAA Division I national championships, advanced to 12 Final Fours, and won over 30 Big...
and even had a nice lead in the opening minutes but ultimately fell to the eventual national champions.
In 2009-10 the Bears brought in a top 10 recruiting class to make up for the losses of Walker and Hampton. The young Bears (the starting lineup during conference play featured four freshmen along with star senior Alexis Gray-Lawson
Alexis Gray-Lawson
Alexis Gray-Lawson is a basketball player who most recently played for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association. She was the 2010 recipient of the Frances Pomeroy Naismith award, which is presented by the WBCA annually to 'the nation's most outstanding NCAA Division I...
) had an up and down year, going 6-5 in non-conference play including a home loss to nearby San Jose State
San José State Spartans
The San Jose State Spartans is the name of the athletic teams representing San Jose State University. SJSU sports teams compete in the Western Athletic Conference at the NCAA Division I level...
. After an 0-3 conference start that left them two games under .500, the Bears started to find their form, going 12-5 the rest of the way including the Pac-10 tournament. However, the second half success was not enough for an NCAA tournament bid and Cal wound up settling for the WNIT
WNIT
WNIT is the PBS member television station for South Bend, Indiana. Its studios are located in South Bend. WNIT broadcasts on digital channel 35 ....
. Although Alexis Gray-Lawson had to sit out the NIT opener because of an injury suffered in the Pac-10 tournament, the Bears edged UC Davis
UC Davis Aggies
The UC Davis Aggies compete in NCAA Division I sports in the Big West Conference. For football, the Aggies compete in Division I FCS , and are members of the Great West Conference, granting UC Davis the distinction of being one of only three UC campuses to field a football team...
in overtime. Gray-Lawson returned for round 2, and the Bears romped through the remaining games against Utah
Utah Utes
The Utah Utes are the athletics teams of the University of Utah. They are named after the Ute tribe of Native Americans. The men's basketball team is known as the "Runnin' Utes"; the women's basketball team, formerly known as the "Lady Utes," now prefers to be referred to as the "Utes"; and the...
, Oregon
Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks refers to the sports teams of the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon. The Oregon Ducks are part of the Pacific-12 Conference in the Division 1 of the NCAA. With seventeen varsity teams, the Oregon Ducks are best known for their football team and Track and Field...
, BYU, Illinois State
Illinois State Redbirds
The Illinois State Redbirds are the athletic teams that represent Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. Teams play at the NCAA Division I level . The football team competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference while most other teams compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
and finally Miami (FL)
Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes, of Coral Gables, Florida, are the varsity sports teams of the University of Miami. They compete in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The university fields 15 athletic teams for 17 varsity sports...
in the championship game at home to win the tournament
2010 Women's National Invitation Tournament
The 2010 Women's National Invitation Tournament is a single-elimination tournament of 64 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I teams that did not participate in the 2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament. The tournament is played entirely on campus sites...
. (It was the first ever championship game held at Haas Pavilion.) Gray-Lawson ended her career as the all-time Cal leader in three points made and games played.
Baseball
The Cal baseball team plays at Evans DiamondEvans Diamond
Evans Diamond is a college baseball stadium in Berkeley, California, on the campus of the University of California. Opened in 1933, it is the home field of the Cal Golden Bears of the Pac-10, with a seating capacity of 2,500. Evans Diamond is located in the UC sports complex in the southwest corner...
, located between Haas Pavilion, the Recreational Sports Facility, and Edward's Track Stadium. Cal has appeared in the post-season a total of nine times, including five times in the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
; Cal won the title in 1947 and 1957. Perhaps the most famous Cal player was second baseman Jeff Kent
Jeff Kent
Jeffrey Franklin Kent is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman. Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2000 with the San Francisco Giants, and is the all-time leader in home runs among second basemen...
, who led the Golden Bears to the 1988 World Series, and would go on to be named the 2000 National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
as a member of the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. Shortstop Geoff Blum
Geoff Blum
Geoffrey Edward Blum is a Major League Baseball infielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks. During his major-league career, he has also played for the Montreal Expos, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox...
of Cal's 1992 College World Series team hit the game-winning home run in the 14th inning of a 2005 World Series
2005 World Series
The 2005 World Series, the 101st Major League Baseball championship series, saw the American League champion Chicago White Sox sweep the National League champion Houston Astros four games to none in the best-of-seven-games series, winning their third championship and first since 1917.Home-field...
game for the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
.
In September 2010, the university announced that baseball would be one of five sports cut as a cost-cutting measure. However, in April 2011, after receiving more than $9 million in pledges from supporters of the program, the program was reinstated.
Rugby Union
Cal Rugby's home is at 5000-seat Witter Rugby Field, located near California Memorial Stadium in Strawberry Canyon. The Golden Bears have won 26 total championships, including 19 of the last 21.| Cal rugby | |
| National Championships (26) | 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1985 • 1986 • 1988 • 19911992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 19992000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 20082010 • 2011 |
History
Rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
began play at Cal in 1882 and continued until 1886, when it was ditched in favor of American Football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. Rugby would make a return in 1906 after football was deemed too dangerous to play. From 1906 to 1914, Cal rugby garnered a respectable 78-21-10 record. 1914, however, saw the return of football and Cal would not field a rugby team for almost 20 years. In 1931, rugby returned under alumnus Ed Graff. It was during this time that Cal began to compete for the World Cup, which is awarded to the winner of the annual series between Cal and the University of British Columbia, though UBC is not Canada's strongest university side (University of Victoria).
1938 began the era of Miles "Doc" Hudson, who guided the Bears for 37 years and an incredible record of 339-84-23. His successor would be Ned Anderson, an alumnus and former rugger for the Bears.
National collegiate championships for rugby union began in 1980 and Cal has been utterly dominant, winning 26 titles (runners-up once) out of a possible 32. Under Anderson, Cal reeled off four consecutive titles from 1980 to 1983. Current head coach and Cal alumnus Jack Clark took over the team in 1984, and has achieved even more prolonged success, leading the Bears to 22 national titles including a string of twelve consecutive championships from 1991 to 2002 and five more from 2004 to 2008.
In September 2010, the university announced that rugby would be one of five varsity sports cut as a cost-cutting measure, though the team would have continued to represent the university as a "varsity club sport," which was to be defined by the university administration. A large group of rugby supporters organized and dispute the relegation (www.savecalrugby.com) On February 11, 2011, the administration reversed its decision on rugby and two other sports, meaning that rugby will continue as a varsity sport.
Crew
Founded in the same year as the university in 1868, crewSport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
was the very first sport at the University of California. Since then it has become one of the most consistently successful Cal varsity programs. Women's crew began in 1974 and it has also become a perennial contender.
Unlike most other sports at Cal where Stanford is considered their chief rival, the Crew's traditional rival is the University of Washington, also consistently one of the best crews in the country.
| Cal crew | |
| Olympic Games Gold Medals (3) | 1928 • 1932 • 1948 |
| Men's National Championships (16) | 1928 • 1932 • 1934 • 1935 • 1939 • 1949 • 19601961 • 1964 • 1976 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2006 • 2010 |
| Women's National Championships (3) | 1980 • 2005 • 2006 |
Men's crew history
The first significant coach in Cal men's crew was Carroll "Ky" EbrightKy Ebright
Carroll M. Ebright , better known as Ky Ebright was a legendary coach for the University of California, Berkeley crew team. He is the only man to coach three Olympic gold medal-winning eight-oared boats. He coached the Cal Men's crew from 1924 through 1959...
, who guided the Bears for 36 years from 1924 to 1959. During his tenure, Cal crew became known for success not only on the collegiate level, but also on the international level. In 1928, Cal fielded one of the most dominant crews in history, as the Bears went undefeated in the United States to win the national championship, earned the right to compete as the United States entry in the Amsterdam Olympics
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
, and subsequently won the gold medal. Cal would represent the United States two more times at the 1932
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
and 1948 Summer Games
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
, coming away with the gold on both occasions. Ebright ultimately led the Bears to nine conference championships and six Intercollegiate Rowing Association
Intercollegiate Rowing Association
The Intercollegiate Rowing Association runs the IRA Championship Regatta, which is considered to be the United States collegiate national championship of rowing. Since 1995, it has been held on the Cooper River in Pennsauken, New Jersey, and includes both men's and women's events for sweep boats...
championships, with the 1939 squad being arguably the best by setting the still-standing (as of 2006) four mile course record at the IRA.
Cal maintained its success during the 1960s under coach Jim Lemmon, who in seven years, led the Bears to three more conference and national championships. In the early 1970s, Cal's lightweight men formed their own club team, California Lightweight Crew
California Lightweight Crew
California Lightweight Crew is the club rowing team at the University of California, Berkeley. Known as the ‘Cal Lightweights’ or ‘Cal Lights,’ the team is a member of the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association...
, while still rowing out of the same boathouse. The earlier success of Cal men's crew faded a little in the 1970s and 1980s, but the Bears did win another national title and three more conference titles.
Steve Gladstone
Steve Gladstone
Stephen C. Gladstone, or Steve Gladstone as he is better known, is one of the premier rowing coaches in the United States. He currently coaches at Yale University...
's second stint as coach (his first was from 1973–1980) began in 1997 when he and then-freshman coach Craig Amerkhanian
Craig Amerkhanian
Craig Amerkhanian is a Pac-10 champion oarsman and rowing coach at Stanford University. Amerkhanian also has placed numerous athletes on National, Olympic and "Boat Race" teams. He was an all PAC 10 oarsman at Cal and graduated in 1980 with a degree in History...
resurrected the men's crew program. The Bears have won seven conference titles five straight conference championships from 1998-2002 along with 2005 and 2006. They have also won six Intercollegiate Rowing Association
Intercollegiate Rowing Association
The Intercollegiate Rowing Association runs the IRA Championship Regatta, which is considered to be the United States collegiate national championship of rowing. Since 1995, it has been held on the Cooper River in Pennsauken, New Jersey, and includes both men's and women's events for sweep boats...
titles, four in a row in 1999–2002, again in 2006, and most recently in 2010.
- Photo Tour of New Cal Crew facilities and Heritage program
- Friends of Cal Men's Crew homepage and video podcast
Women's crew history
Women's crew began at Cal with a bang, as the Bears won four straight conference titles under Daig O'Connell followed with a national championship in 1980 under Pat SweeneyPatrick Sweeney (rower)
Patrick John Sweeney is a coxswain for Great Britain's rowing team. Sweeney won an Olympic Bronze Medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics with Sir Stephen Redgrave and Andy Holmes, and a Silver Medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics as part of the British Men's 8 team...
. However, Cal could not keep up its early success and saw average success for almost the next 20 years. Cal's second renaissance began in the late 1990s, when current coach Dave O'Neill took over the program. Under O'Neill Cal has been invited to the NCAA Rowing Championship
NCAA Rowing Championship
The NCAA Rowing Championship is a rowing championship held by the NCAA for Division I, II and III women's heavyweight collegiate crews. It was first held in 1997. In 2002, the NCAA added championships for Division II and Division III. All races are 2,000 meters long...
the last eight years and won back to back national championships in 2005 and 2006. In 2005 Cal also took the Varsity 8 race, the premier event at the championship.
Track and field
While Cal has not won many NCAA team championships (they won in 1922 and in 1970 in men's competition), the program has had an illustrious history. http://calbears.cstv.com/sports/c-otrack/spec-rel/07-mediaguide.html Brutus HamiltonBrutus Hamilton
Brutus Kerr Hamilton, a scholar, philosopher, poet, and gentleman, is most renowned as one of the leading coaches in American and international track and field....
, perhaps Cal's most successful coach, presided during the long supremacy of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
's track and field program http://usctrojans.cstv.com/sports/m-otrack/archive/052998aaa.html that precluded winning team titles. Hamilton coached from 1933 to 1965 (with a three year break during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
). His predecessor, Walter Christie, coached for 32 years, starting in 1901.
The Bears have had numerous notable performers, including:
- Archie WilliamsArchie WilliamsArchibald Franklin Williams was an African-American athlete and teacher, winner of 400 meter run at the 1936 Summer Olympics....
, Olympic Gold medalist (400 meters in 1936) - Grover Klemmer, world record holder over 440 yards (46.4 in 1941) and over 400 meters (46.0 in 1941);
- Lon Spurrier, world record holder over 880 yards (1:47.5 in 1955);
- Don Bowden, first American to break four minutes for the mile in 1957;
- Eddie Hart, co-World Record holder over 100 meters (9.9) and 4x100 meter Olympic Gold medalist (1972);
- James RobinsonJames Robinson (distance runner)James J. Robinson, Jr. is a former American middle distance runner. He was the dominant American 800 meters runner from the mid-1970s through the mid 1980. He ran in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, finishing fifth in his semi-final and not making the final. He was on the ill...
, seven-time US champion over 800 meters; - Shelia Hudson, 11-time US champion in the triple jump.
Other notable alumni include:
- Dave MaggardDave MaggardDave Maggard is an American former Olympian and university athletic director.Maggard, who grew up in San Francisco and Turlock California, graduated from University of California-Berkeley. He is a former member of the U.S...
, Olympic shot putter (1968), Cal track & field coach, athletic director at Cal, Miami, and Houston. - Brian MaxwellBrian MaxwellBrian Leigh Maxwell was a Canadian athlete, track coach, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He founded PowerBar, a maker of energy and nutritional products for athletes....
, Canadian Olympic marathoner (1980), founder of PowerBarPowerBarPowerBar is an American maker of energy bars and other related products ....
.
Cal track and field athletes have won 12 medals in the Olympics, including six golds. Hamilton was the head Olympic coach in 1948, and Erv Hunt the head coach in 1996.
Edwards Stadium
Edwards Stadium
Edwards Stadium is the track & field and soccer venue for the University of California Golden Bears.This Art Deco-styled stadium was designed by architects Warren C. Perry and George W. Kelham, and named after Col. George C. Edwards, opening in 1932...
, located in the lower southwestern corner of the main campus, is the largest track and field-only stadium in the U.S., able to seat in excess of 22,000. Edwards Stadium has hosted eight NCAA championship meets, a National AAU Championship, and the 1971 and '78 USA vs. USSR dual-meets, amongst others. There have been 12 world records (including records by Dutch Warmerdam (pole vault), Jim Ryun
Jim Ryun
James Ronald Ryun is an American former track athlete and politician, who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1996 to 2007, representing the 2nd District in Kansas. In the 2006 election, Ryun was defeated by Democratic challenger Nancy Boyda...
(one mile) and Henry Rono
Henry Rono
Henry Rono is a Kenyan former athlete.-Biography:Rono was born in Nandi Hills, Kenya, into the Nandi tribe. He started running while at primary school. Starting in 1976 he attended the Washington State University, along with his compatriot Samson Kimobwa, who broke the 10,000 meter world record in...
(5000 meters)), 26 American records and 24 collegiate records set at Edwards.
Ice hockey
California Ice Hockey Team plays at the ACHA Division IIAmerican Collegiate Hockey Association
The American Collegiate Hockey Association is the national governing body of non-varsity college ice hockey in the U.S. The organization provides structure, regulations, promotes the quality of play, sponsors National Awards and National Tournaments....
club level as a member of the Pacific 8 Intercollegiate Hockey Conference
Pacific 8 Intercollegiate Hockey Conference
The PAC-8 Hockey Conference is an ACHA Division II club hockey league. The PAC-8 is made up of Pac-12 university's club ice hockey teams.-Format:...
. The team is coached by Cyril Allen, who took over as head coach in 2001.
The Big Freeze is a bi-annual bay area rival between California and Stanford University. It is the fourth most attended event at Cal behind only to its football and men's and women's basketball programs.
California Ice Hockey currently plays at Oakland Ice Center in Oakland, Ca. Berkeley Iceland is currently being repurchased through the community with efforts being led by Cal's Coach, Cyril Allen.
Volleyball
Cal completed its most successful season in 2010, as they won the Pac-10 title for the first time in school history and advanced to the 2010 NCAA Championship
2010 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament
The 2010 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament began on December 2, 2010 and ended December 18, when Penn State swept California to win an unprecedented 4th straight NCAA title, making it their 5th overall...
final, where they fell to Penn State. Senior setter Carli Lloyd was named the 2010 AVCA National Player of the Year and Feller was named the National Coach of the Year.
In 2007, Cal reached the final four for the first time in school history before falling to eventual national champion Penn State in the semifinals. Not only did they reach the final four, in their run they were able to defeat defending champion and #2 seed Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball
Nebraska is home to one of the nation's most storied collegiate women's volleyball programs. The Nebraska women's volleyball team has won three NCAA Women's Volleyball National Championships, in 1995, 2000, and 2006 and has had three NCAA National Runner-Up finishes in 1986, 1989, and 2005 as well...
, who were the favorites to repeat as champions, in the regional final round, in a sweep (3-0).
In 2007, Senior outside hitter Angie Pressey, the daughter of NBA player Paul Pressey
Paul Pressey
Paul Matthew Pressey is an American former professional basketball player. Pressey is widely, though unofficially, credited with being the originator of the point forward position, combining the attributes of a point guard and forward...
, garnered AVCA First Team All-American honors, and was the only Cal player in history to be named to the Pac-10 All-Conference team all four years. Hana Cutura was named the 2007 regional MVP for her helping Cal reach the final four.
Water polo
The men's water poloWater polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
team has won 13 national championships
NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship
The NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship has existed since the 1969 season.No school from outside the state of California has ever surpassed third place...
, including the back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007.
On February 28, 2010, the women's team played the longest match in NCAA women’s water polo history, losing 7–6 to UCLA at the UC Irvine Invitational.
Olympics
Since 1906, Cal students and alumni have participated in the OlympicsOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in a variety of different sports and have represented a diverse group of nations, despite the fact that the university is located in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In the first half of the 20th century, Cal's Olympics presence was felt mainly in the sports of rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and crew
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
. The gold medal winning American rugby teams of the 1920
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....
and 1924 Summer Olympics
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
were made up of many Cal players who were displaced following the school's decision to support American football, rather than rugby http://calbears.collegesports.com/sports/m-rugby/archive/cal-m-rugby-a-history.html. In men's crew, Cal's team won gold for the United States three times – at the 1928
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
, 1932
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
, and 1948 Summer Olympics
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
. To date, this is more than any other college or university in the world.
http://calbears.collegesports.com/sports/m-crew/archive/cal-m-crew-bearhist.html
From the second half of the 20th century and through to the 21st Century, Cal has been a huge presence in the water sports of swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, and water Polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
. Cal swimmers have represented an eclectic group of nations, including Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Two of the most well-known Cal Olympic swimmers in the past 20 years are Matt Biondi
Matt Biondi
Matthew Nicholas Biondi is a three-time U.S. Olympic swimmer in the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Summer Olympics, winning a total of 11 medals...
and Natalie Coughlin
Natalie Coughlin
Natalie Anne Coughlin is an American swimmer and eleven-time Olympic medallist.At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Coughlin became the first American female athlete in modern Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympics and the first woman ever to win a 100 m backstroke gold in two consecutive...
. Matt Biondi began his Olympic career with a gold as a member of the 400 free relay team at the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
, but became an outright star four years later when he garnered an amazing seven medals (five gold, one silver, and one bronze) at the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
. He would follow up that effort with four medals (2 gold, one silver, and one bronze) at the 1992 games
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
for a career total of 11 medals, 8 of them gold.
Over a decade later, Coughlin would become another Olympic swimming icon with Cal heritage after an impressive performance at the 2004 Athens Games
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. Individually and in relays, she won five medals (2 gold, 2 silver, one bronze) as a United States representative. Furthermore, Duje Draganja
Duje Draganja
Duje Draganja |Split]]) is a swimmer from Croatia who won the silver medal in the men's 50 meter freestyle at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece....
won silver in 50 meters freestyle at the same Olympics, representing Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. The Bears would capture 17 medals in the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, paced by six more medals from Coughlin. The 17 medals set a school record.
In aquatic collegiate competition, Cal has an emerging powerhouse program in team swimming and diving. Recently, both genders in swimming and diving have won the 2011 NCAA national championships. Including the championships won in 1979 and 1980, the men have won three. The women have won two, including the 2009 championship.