California on Wednesday local time fired basketball coach Ben Braun following another disappointing season in which the Golden Bears missed the NCAA tournament.

Ben Braun spent at least 12 years at Cal & 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.

An official said, “This was an extremely difficult decision that was undertaken with great care & diligence. However, in the final analysis, I have determined that it is time for Cal to seek new leadership in our men’s basketball program. Competing for conference championships & a place in the NCAA tournament are goals & expectations that are embraced at Cal. Unfortunately, we have not been able to consistently meet those expectations in our men’s basketball program”.

Cal finished in ninth place in the Pac-10 this season, going 17-16 overall & just 6-12 in the conference despite having a talented roster that included likely future NBA players in Ryan Anderson, DeVon Hardin & Patrick Christopher.