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Braun was.......... on the one hand respected in the bay area because of his integrity and because he was a true "student first, athlete second" type coach.
On the other hand, he was a sub-par recruiter and coach. To be competitive in the Pac-10, you need more than a star player coming in about every 2 or 3 years. You need them every single year. Granted, it is very difficult to remain commited to a "student first" atmosphere and at the same time recruit the type of talent they need to stay competitive, but it is possible, and Braun wasn't doing it.
Beyond that, he just wasn't a great floor coach either. His teams lacked cohesiveness and chemistry. It just seemed like they had no focus.
Whoever Cal hires will give a very good indication of whether the scool wants to maintain its student first mentality or whether they choose to win at all costs. It will be interesting to see which choice they make.
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