Braun inks extension with Cal

The search for Steve Fisher's replacement narrowed by one last night.

Just hours after getting off the phone with University Athletic Director Tom Goss, California coach Ben Braun announced he had signed a new two-year extension with the Golden Bears and isn't going anywhere until after 2004.

"I've been going through some soul searching the last two days," said Braun, who had been rumored as the top candidate for the position of head men's basketball coach at Michigan. "I'm honored that they approached me about the job.

"The timing is the big issue. I didn't feel it would be appropriate at this time to make this kind of change."

Cal extended Braun's contract by two years and increased his salary.

While Goss said he talked to Braun briefly yesterday, he said he had not yet formally interviewed him for the job.

"Probably, he would've been in my top five," Goss said. "I'd call it a very minor setback."

Braun detailed the conversation saying, "Tom simply said I was at the top of the list. We never had any further discussion."

Meanwhile, Goss talked to several more coaches yesterday about the position, including Michigan legend Cazzie Russell, now a basketball coach at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia.

"Cazzie was excited to be part of the process," Goss said. "Absolutely, he's interested. He's Michigan."

Goss said he has set a time and place to meet with Russell, but would not name anyone else on his list of candidates. Goss said media attention and speculation surrounding Braun hampered the process.

"Coach Braun might have been the coach we might have wanted. But I never will know now, will I?," Goss said. "Because they started running articles on him right from the very start."

Since time is a key issue - basketball practice starts Saturday - Goss said he has "created a group of people to do some of the diligent research" on potential candidates.

Goss said he will meet with four or five candidates and hopes to name a new coach by the middle of next week.

Fred Smith, athletic director at Sienna Heights College, was an assistant coach to Braun when he ran the basketball program at Sienna Heights from 1973-83. He said Goss should stay with what he has for now.

"I thought it'd be awfully hard for (Braun) to leave at this time," Smith said. "That's one of the problems Mr. Goss is going to face at this time. I would go with one of the assistant coaches for this year."

Goss, however, said he is not worried about finding someone so close to the start of the season.

"Before I started, I had that as a concern," Goss said. "Now that I've gotten into the process that's not even a concern.

"There's just too many quality opportunities for us."

10-15-97