OT: UCLA fires Steve Alford

[cohenzone]

Once they saw those Pee Wee recruits your days would be numbered.[/QUOT
One of my players could dunk over a potty stool. YouTube to follow.

 

[Chief00]

Anyone can recruit to UCLA. But you would have to want to live the So Cal culture.

That part wouldn’t be a problem for KO, LOL

 

[superjohn]

Musselman.

 

[Chief00]

.... other than John Wooden. Cmon Man. You can't start like that.

Fact is - and I have a UCLA degree - there is every expectation from that fan base and big money guys (going back decades to the latest techie) that they WIN National Championships. And the pressure is enormous.

It is not Musselman's persona. That's not to say he won't be the one. Both he and his father are scrapyard dog types and that isn't UCLA. As for the comment about the SoCal cultura ... WTF ... you don't like 11 months of great weather and late afternoon walks on Will Rogers State Beach watching pink bikinis. Fact is - LA is sooo big that you cut it down to your little niche and gang. Try not to go beyond your geo neighborhood.

I was referring to guys with Midwest cultural roots. The reason I said except for John Wooden was that he was from Indiana but was frankly from another era in time. I agree, there is pressure to win at UCLA.
During a couple stages of my career, I was assigned to the west coast and traveled to CA frequently - I loved it. However, it is indeed a different culture than the Midwest.

 

[Walker11]

.... other than John Wooden. Cmon Man. You can't start like that.

Fact is - and I have a UCLA degree - there is every expectation from that fan base and big money guys (going back decades to the latest techie) that they WIN National Championships. And the pressure is enormous.

It is not Musselman's persona. That's not to say he won't be the one. Both he and his father are scrapyard dog types and that isn't UCLA. As for the comment about the SoCal cultura ... WTF ... you don't like 11 months of great weather and late afternoon walks on Will Rogers State Beach watching pink bikinis. Fact is - LA is sooo big that you cut it down to your little niche and gang. Try not to go beyond your geo neighborhood.

I think his personality is perfect for the job.

And @Chief00, I don't think it matters where the guy has roots. UCLA recruits itself. Personality is more important than geographical ties for this particular job, IMO.

 

[Chief00]

I think his personality is perfect for the job.

And @Chief00, I don't think it matters where the guy has roots. UCLA recruits itself. Personality is more important than geographical ties for this particular job, IMO.

True, but I don’t know if you are likely to have that west coast sales personality coming from IN or Iowa. A generalization with exceptions but I am sticking to it.

 

[UofCT]

Ben Howland is the only choice.

 

[HawkHusky]

Dirty Dick Pitino. You heard it here first!

 

[HuskyHawk]

.... other than John Wooden. Cmon Man. You can't start like that.

Fact is - and I have a UCLA degree - there is every expectation from that fan base and big money guys (going back decades to the latest techie) that they WIN National Championships. And the pressure is enormous.

It is not Musselman's persona. That's not to say he won't be the one. Both he and his father are scrapyard dog types and that isn't UCLA. As for the comment about the SoCal cultura ... WTF ... you don't like 11 months of great weather and late afternoon walks on Will Rogers State Beach watching pink bikinis. Fact is - LA is sooo big that you cut it down to your little niche and gang. Try not to go beyond your geo neighborhood.

Sure. But let's take Reno housing cost vs LA (in an area a UCLA coach would want to live so...Bel Air). What do you think, maybe 5X the cost it would be in Reno? How about traffic? I'm not down on LA, but it isn't for everyone. The pressure, cost of living, there are some definitely downsides to that job. UCLA needs to pay a lot. A lot of people have turned them down over the years.

 

[TRest]

Actually if it wasn’t for the NCAA investigation and frivolous lawsuits KO with an experience bench coach wouldn’t be the worse choice.

He got fired for coaching ineptitude. Good luck to the next AD (if any) who has to sell him to a fanbase.

 

[HuskyBoi]

This might just be Gregg Marshall's gig

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Anyone can recruit to UCLA. But you would have to want to live the So Cal culture.

What does this mean?

 

[intlzncster]

And @Chief00, I don't think it matters where the guy has roots. UCLA recruits itself. Personality is more important than geographical ties for this particular job, IMO.

To a degree. The results over the past 30 years show you can't just stick any jabroni in there and be good to go.

 

[Mr. French]

Isn’t Musselman a NYer?

Not that it doesn’t work, I just don’t know that he’s such a lock “west coast guy.”

 

[Chief00]

He got fired for coaching ineptitude. Good luck to the next AD (if any) who has to sell him to a fanbase.

I would argue he got fired for not winning and program mismanagement. Of course, the official reason is NCAA violations.

 

[superjohn]

All this culture fit stuff is a little silly, UCLA is in Los Angelas not Iraq.

 

[Pudge]

Sure. But let's take Reno housing cost vs LA (in an area a UCLA coach would want to live so...Bel Air). What do you think, maybe 5X the cost it would be in Reno? How about traffic? I'm not down on LA, but it isn't for everyone. The pressure, cost of living, there are some definitely downsides to that job. UCLA needs to pay a lot. A lot of people have turned them down over the years.

I would proffer ... it is the Shadow of Wooden and a vibrantly unrealistic fanbase with the related pressure that scared coaches away (and over time ... that included Valvano, Pitino, Calipari - maybe it is just Italians). The cost of living, when you make greater than $2m a year PLUS huge off-court opportunities for the right personality, is not that tough to take. Don't live in Bel Air; live in Pacific Palisades in one of those canyons. Safer against fires anyway.

 

[Walker11]

To a degree. The results over the past 30 years show you can't just stick any jabroni in there and be good to go.

The problem is coaching, not recruiting. Lavin, Howland, Alford all recruited very well. Lavin and Alford are bad coaches. Howland was super boring.

 

[Walker11]

All this culture fit stuff is a little silly, UCLA is in Los Angelas not Iraq.

Good point. Chip Kelly is far from an LA guy. They just need someone who can coach, preferably with the high-tempo offense.

 

[Travelman6]

They are trying to lure Calhoun away from St Joe's as we speak....


...I kid.

 

[J187Money]

I’m available. My son lives walkable to UCLA, I love So Cal,would move there if the housing cost differential weren’t so big, but my contract would take care of that , and I once coached a pee wee team.

I used to stay in the W there all the time. Was formerly called the W - Westwood - which has now morphed into the W - West Beverly Hills, as if there was ever such a place

 

[cohenzone]

I used to stay in the W there all the time. Was formerly called the W - Westwood - which has now morphed into the W - West Beverly Hills, as if there was ever such a place

We get there about 4 times a year, early Feb next. My son and family live a long block north of UCLA in the Montana/Veteran area. I’ve been to Pauley a few times. My daughter in law, who grew up in Fullerton and got an advanced degree at UCLA had no idea who Wooden was when she started there. I’m old enough to remember when then Lew Alcindor was making his college choice. There was heavy speculation that he’d go to Holy Cross because his high school coach had just been hired to be their head coach. We UConn fans despised Holy Cross and were relieved that he picked the Bruins.

 

[Chief00]

He got fired for coaching ineptitude. Good luck to the next AD (if any) who has to sell him to a fanbase.

Guys can learn and have second acts. Sometimes certain things are situational like going through a divorce.
Bill Belichick was fired as head coach of Cleveland and has done ok as head coach of New England.

 

[Vowelguy]

Guys can learn and have second acts. Sometimes certain things are situational like going through a divorce.
Bill Belichick was fired as head coach of Cleveland and has done ok as head coach of New England.

Or Steve Alford. He failed at Iowa before resurrecting himself at NM and .... oh, wait a minute.

 

[uconnfan68]

The problem is coaching, not recruiting. Lavin, Howland, Alford all recruited very well. Lavin and Alford are bad coaches. Howland was super boring.

Bill Walton wouldn’t be boring... for at least 10 minutes.