Stanford men’s basketball assistant coach Mark Madsen ’00 announced today that he will step away from the Farm and return to the professional game, accepting the head coaching position with the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA’s D-League.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity that Coach Dawkins gave me to join the Stanford program and learn under his direction and mentorship,” Madsen said. “I appreciate the support, encouragement and feedback of Coach Dawkins in particular over the past several weeks during this decision-making process. I whole-heartedly express my personal gratitude not only to Coach Dawkins, but to every player, staff member and coach I had the chance to work with this year. I also look forward to following the team’s success next year and wish them the best of luck.”
A two-time All-American on the Farm, “Mad Dog” was a member of the 1998 Final Four team and averaged 10.9 points and 7.9 rebounds for his Cardinal career while ranking among the school’s top-10 all-time performers in field goal percentage (fourth at 58.7 percent), and total rebounds (sixth with 857).
Madsen went on to play in the NBA for nine seasons, including a stint as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers for three seasons, helping the franchise capture two consecutive championships in 2001 and 2002. He gained notoriety for his dance moves at the Lakers’ Championship Parade, and was a fan favorite throughout his time in L.A.
After retiring from the NBA, Madsen worked as an assistant coach in the D-League with the Utah Flash in 2009-10 before returning to Stanford and earning his MBA from the Graduate School of Business in Public Management in 2012.
Stanford head coach Johnny Dawkins hired Madsen as an assistant coach for the 2012-2013 season, and noted that he was particularly happy for Madsen to be moving up the coaching ladder.
“I am truly excited to see Mark earn an opportunity to be a head coach at the professional level,” Dawkins said. “Mark proved to be a terrific role model for our student-athletes on and off the court while several of our post players improved tremendously under his guidance. Mark’s professionalism and enthusiasm were invaluable assets to our program over the past year.”