Berkeley, Calif. ? California reportedly has turned to its biggest rival to find its new basketball coach, agreeing in principle Friday with former Stanford coach Mike Montgomery on a contract to replace the fired Ben Braun.

ESPN.com was first to report the news, citing an unidentified source with knowledge of the negotiations.

Montgomery, who spent 18 years with the Cardinal, has been out of coaching since August 2006 when he was let go after two seasons in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors.