BERKELEY, Calif. -- Veteran basketball coach Mike Montgomery, once the target of jeers by Cal fans when he coached at rival Stanford, has been selected to run the Golden Bears men's program, replacing the fired Ben Braun, according to an ESPN report Friday.

The sports news network reported that Montgomery, who has been courted for other college coaching vacancies around the country, was selected after Cal had discussed the job with Pitt's Jamie Dixon, Nevada's Mark Fox, Villanova's Jay Wright among others.

Montgomery led Stanford to a 393-167 record with 12 NCAA tournament appearances in his 18 seasons at Stanford, including a 1998 Final Four appearance. He left the Cardinal to test his skills on the professional level as head coach with the Golden State Warriors in 2004.

He compiled a 68-96 record in two seasons with the Warriors before he was fired and Don Nelson was hired. Since that time, Montgomery has been a color analyst on college basketball broadcasts.'

Braun spent 12 years at Cal and made the tournament five times, but the Bears only went to the NCAA tournament once in his final five seasons, leading to the decision by athletic director Sandy Barbour.

"This was an extremely difficult decision that was undertaken with great care and diligence," Barbour said in a prepared statement. "However, in final analysis, I have determined that it is time for Cal to seek new leadership in our men's basketball program."

During his tenure with the Bears, Braun compiled a 219-154 record and guided the team to five NCAA Tournament berths and three National Invitation Tournaments. His first squad in 1996-97 reached the NCAA Sweet 16, earning him Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors, while he guided the 1998-99 team to the NIT championship.

After reaching the postseason in six of his first seven years, which included four trips to NCAAs and two NITs, Braun led Cal to one NCAA Tournament and one NIT the past five seasons.

However, the Bears have placed eighth or ninth in the Pac-10 three of the last four years. Cal was 141-79 overall and 71-55 in the Pac-10 under Braun from 1997-2003, but 79-75 overall and 39-51 in league games from 2004-08.

Cal completed its 2007-08 campaign with a 73-56 loss at Ohio State Monday in the second round of the NIT. The Bears were 17-16 on the year and finished ninth in the Pac-10 with a 6-12 mark.

Braun was hired as Cal's men's basketball coach in September 1996 from Eastern Michigan and guided the team through a three-year probationary period that was caused by NCAA violations during the tenure of head coach Todd Bozeman. In that first year, he steered the Bears to a 23-9 record and a second-place Pac-10 finish, and Ed Gray was named Pac-10 Player of the Year.