It's official - UCLA is no longer a blueblood

[boilerzz]

It's comically bad that they hired Mick Cronin. Dude has been to 1 Sweet 16 in his history and is the antithesis of what UCLA fans would want in a coach. What a terrible match.

I predict he doesn't last more than 5 years before they run him off.

 

[thebasketballreasons]

He’s just another March Madness underachiever just like Rick Barnes and Jamie Dixon, it’s not going to work out well.

 

[JC for 3]

HILARIOUS.

 

[speedfrk]

Yikes.

 

[bMORE607]

Damn it

 

[lurkeraspect84]

I wonder if this is Mick's first job in Los Angeles since the filming of Somewhere Under the Rainbow?

 

[JC for 3]

I wonder if this is Mick's first job in Los Angeles since the filming of Somewhere Under the Rainbow?

 

[AuHoosier420]

I wonder if this is Mick's first job in Los Angeles since the filming of Somewhere Under the Rainbow?

Underrated post

 

[ExitFlagger]

Too bad there aren't any UCLA fans on the internet to troll.

 

[CB3UK]

My loins are tightening

 

[klize17]

I wonder if this is Mick's first job in Los Angeles since the filming of Somewhere Under the Rainbow?

 

[dukedevilz]

It's comically bad that they hired Mick Cronin. Dude has been to 1 Sweet 16 in his history and is the antithesis of what UCLA fans would want in a coach. What a terrible match.

I predict he doesn't last more than 5 years before they run him off.

Wouldn't be terribly surprising. UCLA has had 9 coaches since Wooden left. Only two of them, Harrick and Howland, lasted longer than 7 seasons.

 

[Hank_]

Imagine firing Alford, pretending you were going to poach Calipari, just to end up with Mick f’in Cronin.

All ten thousand fans should be pissed.

 

[boilerzz]

Wouldn't be terribly surprising. UCLA has had 9 coaches since Wooden left. Only two of them, Harrick and Howland, lasted longer than 7 seasons.

I live in Cincinnati so I see Cronin firsthand. His personality is abrasive and he's a defense first coach. No way that meshes with the glitz and glamour of LA.

 

[bMORE607]

I can’t wait for Lavar Ball’s reaction to the hire.

 

[Mtterrell]

Man, that’s going to be one hell of a meltdown when he gets into it with the admin and fans.

 

[lurkeraspect84]

6 years $24 M

 

[dukedevilz]

I will give Cronin some credit for fielding decent teams with guys that weren't heavily recruited. From his last 5 classes, only Jarron Cumberland and Gary Clark were top 100 recruits. He's mostly dealing with 3-star recruits and transfers. He hasn't had a top 25 recruiting class since 2007. So if he can actually attract some talent to UCLA, and I would think he could, then he might have a chance.

 

[JC for 3]

If you can sneak up on Cronin from behind and pat him on the head, by leprechaun law, he HAS to give you 3 gold coins.

 

[boilerzz]

I wonder if this is Mick's first job in Los Angeles since the filming of Somewhere Under the Rainbow?

 

[afish111]

Amateur hour in Westwood.

 

[Cdub2k]

This isn't much of an upgrade from Coach Alford
At least Alford was able to advance to the 2nd weekend 3 times in his 6 years at UCLA. I don't believe Cronin ever got out of the 1st weekend.

 

[Da_Bull]

I'm not entirely sure which one it is:

 

[dukedevilz]

Did Cronin ever coach a white scholarship player at Cincinnati? I don't follow them super closely, but I honestly can't think of one.

 

[lurkeraspect84]

UCLA is not a destination job for coaches.

That has to be a requirement for a blue blood doesn't it?

 

[Bert Higginbotha]

UCLA is a horrible program with 11 titles. No following until they are undefeated and ranked number 1 then they can sell 7,000 seats.

 

[Bert Higginbotha]

6 years $24 M

That could be a cut based on the taxes in California.

 

[lurkeraspect84]

Sorry, not sorry, but UCLA hiring Cronin reminds me of this story, but today, it'd be "You can spend your whole life chasing a job, but if I want it, I'll take it.".


Here’s the prologue in short: Parrish says there was a prominent coach within the last three years that had been recruiting a kid hard, attended over thirty of his games over two years, etc. Calipari came in after seeing the kid once the previous summer and watched him play one game. The recruit then committed to Kentucky. That’s not the craziest part. According to Parrish, the coach started spreading rumors about how Cal must have cheated to get the recruit, that he barely knew his name, etc. So, Cal confronted the coach in Vegas.

Parrish recounts the story, which he says he heard from five different sources:

“100% true, John confronts this guy in Vegas, because he heard the guy was yapping. He confronts him. Cal approaches the coach and says something like ‘Listen, I know what you’ve been saying’

‘No, I haven’t been saying–‘

‘I know you did, I know you said what you said. I’ve heard it from enough people, but I want you to understand one thing. Yes I am the type of guy who can come in at the last minute and take any player I want from you. You can spend your whole life recruiting a kid and at the end of the day, if I want him, I’ll get him. If we want him, we’ll get him. Don’t ever get that confused. Be appreciative every time I don’t come in and get your guy. Don’t accuse me of cheating when I do.

‘I didn’t say–‘

‘Yes you did say that. And it’s fine, but just understand, nothing stupid went on. It’s just that I’m me, and we’re Kentucky and we can come in and get that kid whenever we want.”



Story was later confirmed to be Cronin as the other coach.

 

[duckboy33]

People said Bennett couldn’t win in March until he did. Cronin is a solid coach.

I agree UCLA isn’t a premier program (top 5) anymore but this isn’t a comically bad hire by any means

 

[lurkeraspect84]

People said Bennett couldn’t win in March until he did. Cronin is a solid coach.

I agree UCLA isn’t a premier program (top 5) anymore but this isn’t a comically bad hire by any means

It kind of is. He was way down on the list, and I(along with many other east coast fans, no offense) have watched his whole career unfold up to this point. I would have never, ever, imagined him coaching a blue blood school.

 

[duckboy33]

It kind of is. He was way down on the list, and I(along with many other east coast fans, no offense) have watched his whole career unfold up to this point. I would have never, ever, imagined him coaching a blue blood school.

Meh, I’ve watched plenty of their games. I don’t think it’s a bad hire. It’s not a home run hire obviously but UCLA will have a higher ceiling than cincy

 

[lurkeraspect84]

Meh, I’ve watched plenty of their games. I don’t think it’s a bad hire. It’s not a home run hire obviously but UCLA will have a higher ceiling than cincy

One of his biggest accomplishments at UC

Cronin is also the only UC coach to ever lead the Bearcats to a win over a higher seed in the NCAA Tournament, when 6th-seeded Cincinnati defeated 3rd-seeded Florida State in 2012.[11] It has been the only season that the Bearcats have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen under Cronin.

 

[xWVU2010x]

It kind of is. He was way down on the list, and I(along with many other east coast fans, no offense) have watched his whole career unfold up to this point. I would have never, ever, imagined him coaching a blue blood school.

It’s comically bad because they publicly offered so many others and the expectations from their alumni are out of control. Yes they are a blue blood, but the John Wooden era is gone and never coming back, the bar of “national championship or there’s the door” is outrageous especially if you aren’t going to write a check to a coach that would reset the bar for how coaches are paid.

Cronin is a step up over the present though. 9 straight NCAA bids at Cincy, that should be easy to replicate at UCLA, however I doubt he accomplishes what UCLA expects to hang onto him after 3-4 years and I doubt he meshes with their fan base and the LA culture. Like I said, in 4 years after probably 4 straight exits prior to the elite 8, they will be better off where they are now but in the same ridiculous bind of expecting a huge name to come there because of what Wooden accomplished.

 

[CB3UK]

UC and UCLA fans melting. Win win for UK

 

[Wall2Boogie]

I hope he likes being their 47th choice. Dude will suck at UCLA, especially if the last 9 at uc are any indication. He absolutely despised Kentucky. He wants that supposed blueblood status but UCLA is dead right now and haven’t been relevant since Kevin love was there

 

[lurkeraspect84]

Rumor has it Lavar Ball was next in line.

Great hire UCLA.

 

[Bert Higginbotha]

Meh, I’ve watched plenty of their games. I don’t think it’s a bad hire. It’s not a home run hire obviously but UCLA will have a higher ceiling than cincy

Really?

I don't know if the UCLA is as good a job.

 

[bMORE607]

You would think the 1 old guy itt would remember UCLA in its heyday.

 

[xWVU2010x]

Really?

I don't know if the UCLA is as good a job.

Lol cmon I know we’re busting UCLA’s balls but it is 10x the job Cincy is even with current turmoil surrounding it.

 

[duckboy33]

Really?

I don't know if the UCLA is as good a job.

UCLA is a much better job than Cincy