Mike Montgomery Retiring As Cal Golden Bears Coach

Nov 18, 2013; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears guard Jabari Bird (23) speaks with head coach Mike Montgomery during the second half against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds at Haas Pavilion. The California Golden Bears defeated the Southern Utah Thunderbirds 75-47. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

As was reported Sunday, Cal Golden Bears basketball coach Mike Montgomery announced his retirement on Monday, according to the athletic department’s website.

According to the Bay Area News Group, Montgomery met with the team at noon and a press conference is scheduled for later this afternoon.

"“I have enjoyed 45 years coaching the game I love while developing long-lasting friendships along the way,” Montgomery said in a statement. This is a decision that was not made lightly. This is the right time for me to move to the next phase of my life.”"

Montgomery, 67, was a Bay Area fixture for almost 30 years, coaching at Stanford and Cal as well as spending two years with the Golden State Warriors.

Arriving at Stanford in 1986 after an eight-year run at Montana, Montgomery revived a program that had posted just one winning season in 14 years. He had just one losing season in 18 years on The Farm and led the Cardinal to 12 NCAA tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight 2001 and a Final Four in 1998. Stanford won or shared four Pac-10 titles during his tenure and ended the 2003-04 season with a 29-1 record and the No. 1 ranking in the country before the Cardinal was upset by Alabama in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Montgomery is the all-time winningest coach at Stanford, going 392-168 in 18 seasons and his 12 NCAA tournament bids is far and away the most in school history—the school has only 18 bids total, three under Trent Johnson and one each under Everett Dean, who coached Stanford to its only national title in 1942, and Johnny Dawkins this season.

Stanford’s 1989 tournament bid under Montgomery was the school’s first since winning the national title in 1942.

Montgomery left Stanford for the NBA, taking over as coach of the Golden State Warriors for the 2004-05 season, replacing the fired Eric Musselman.

The Warriors went 34-48 in each of Montgomery’s two seasons at the helm and he and the Warriors agreed to part ways in August 2006.

Montgomery took a part-time position in the Stanford athletic department in August 2007, but got the itch to return to the sidelines and took the vacant position at Cal in 2008 to replace Ben Braun, who was fired after 12 seasons.

Montgomery led the Golden Bears to the postseason in each of his six years heading the program, including four NCAA tournament berths and two trips to the NIT.

Cal had two exits in the round of 32 and went out in the first round in 2009 and 2012. The Bears were 21-14 this season and were eliminated in the NIT quarterfinals by SMU last week.

Montgomery was 130-73 in six years at Cal and is third on the school’s all-time win list behind Nibs Price (453 wins from 1925-54) and Braun (219 wins from 1997-08).

His overall coaching record in the college ranks was 677-316 in 32 seasons and he was 68-96 in two seasons as an NBA coach.