Current position | |
---|---|
Title | Head coach |
Team | UCLA |
Conference | Big Ten |
Record | 115–53 (.685) |
Annual salary | $4 million |
Biographical details | |
Born | Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. [1] | July 17, 1971
Alma mater | Cincinnati ('97) |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1991–1996 | Woodward HS (assistant) |
1996–2001 | Cincinnati (assistant) |
2001–2003 | Louisville (assistant) |
2003–2006 | Murray State |
2006–2019 | Cincinnati |
2019–present | UCLA |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 480–224 (.682) |
Tournaments | 15–14 (NCAA Division I) 1–1 (NIT) 0–1 (CBI) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
NCAA Division I Regional—Final Four (2021) 2 OVC tournament (2004, 2006) OVC regular season (2006) 2 AAC tournament (2018, 2019) 2 AAC regular season (2014, 2018) Pac-12 regular season (2023) | |
Awards | |
2× Pac-12 Coach of the Year (2020, 2023) Sporting News Men's College Basketball Coach of the Year (2018) AAC Coach of the Year (2014) OVC Coach of the Year (2006) | |
Michael Walter Cronin (born July 17, 1971) [2] is an American men's college basketball coach who is the head coach of the UCLA Bruins of the Big Ten Conference.
Cronin was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year in his first season with the Bruins in 2019–20. The following year, his team went to the Final Four. Cronin arrived at UCLA having previously served as the head coach for the Cincinnati Bearcats for 13 seasons. Cronin had been named the coach of the year of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) in 2014 and guided Bearcats' program to nine straight NCAA tournament appearances (through 2018–19). Prior to joining Cincinnati in 2006, he coached the Murray State Racers from 2003 to 2006.
Cronin grew up on the west side of Cincinnati, the son of Peggy and Harold "Hep" Cronin. [3] Hep Cronin was a high school coach with more than 400 career wins in Cincinnati. [4] Mick was one of three children along with older brother, Dan, and sister, Kelly. [5] Not only did his father coach basketball, he also was a teacher, a baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves, and an employee at River Downs race track during the summers. [3]
Attending La Salle High School, the 5-foot-7-inch (1.70 m) Cronin, playing point guard for his dad, [6] [7] [8] earned all-city honors in basketball at LaSalle. He led the city in assists and was second in 3-point shooting percentage during the 1989–90 season. A knee injury to his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) near the end of his junior season ended his playing career. [2] [8] [9]
As a student at the University of Cincinnati, while accompanying his dad to scout a Cincinnati Woodward High School game, Cronin was offered a job coaching the freshman team and assisting with the varsity by then-Bulldogs coach Jim Leon. [3] From 1991 to 1996, he served as a varsity assistant coach and junior varsity coach at Woodward High. [10] Cronin compiled a 57–3 record in three seasons as JV coach, and as a varsity aide, Woodward claimed three city championships. While at Woodward, Cronin helped develop six players who went on to play Division I college basketball, including former University of Louisville players Eric Johnson and Dion Edwards, and former Cincinnati guard Damon Flint.
Cronin received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Cincinnati in 1996. [11]
In the spring of 1996, Cronin coached the East team in the Magic Johnson Roundball Classic. He was director of the 1994 Pittsburgh high school Roundball Classic national all-star game. Cronin has coached and served on the selection committee for the Adidas camp and spent four summers on the staff of the Five-Star Teaching Camp.
Cronin took his first college coaching job as a video coordinator under Bob Huggins at the University of Cincinnati in 1996–97, and the following season was elevated to assistant coach, a post he held at UC until 2001. [9] Cronin built a reputation for his ability to evaluate and recruit top talent; at UC as an assistant for Huggins from 1997 to 2001, Cronin recruits included NBA draft selections Steve Logan (Golden State Warriors), DerMarr Johnson (Atlanta Hawks), Pete Mickeal and Kenny Satterfield (both drafted by the Dallas Mavericks), and Jason Maxiell (Detroit Pistons). [9]
Cronin became the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Louisville under Rick Pitino, beginning with the 2001–02 season. In his first year, Cronin helped attract a top-10 ranked recruiting class. [9]
Cronin's first head coaching job was at Murray State, [12] where he was hired in 2003. [13] In three seasons at Murray, Cronin led the team to the NCAA tournament twice and was named the 2006 Ohio Valley Conference coach of the year.
After the 2005–06 season, he was hired as Cincinnati's coach, replacing interim coach Andy Kennedy after the dismissal of Bob Huggins. [14] Cronin had to pick up the pieces from a depleted program after Huggins was asked to resign with no warning three months before the 2005 season, and a temporary coach was used for a season. Due to the school having done little to no recruiting for nearly a year, Cronin was forced to scrounge for players. He even had a couple players on the football team play, one being future NFL linebacker Connor Barwin.
Although Cronin's teams struggled early in his UC career, he improved the school's win total each of his first five seasons. From the beginning of the 2010 season to February 3, 2017, the Bearcats had amassed a 166–63 record, spent 45 weeks ranked in the AP Poll, and reached six straight NCAA tournaments, while picking up four tournament wins.
For the 2009–10 season, Cronin was able to successfully recruit Lance Stephenson, the all-time leading scorer in New York state high school basketball history who later had NBA stints with multiple teams. During his one season at Cincinnati, Stephenson was named the Big East Rookie of the Year. [15]
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. [16] It was the only season that the Bearcats advanced to the Sweet Sixteen under Cronin. In 2018–19, Cincinnati appeared in its ninth straight NCAA tournament, but was eliminated in the first round by Iowa. [17]
In 2011, the University of Cincinnati board of trustees approved a contract extension for Cronin through 2017 with an average pay of $1.5 million a year. It included an increase in salary for his staff, as well as an increase in the basketball program budget. [9] [18] In 2016, the UC board of trustees approved a 2-year extension that would have taken Cronin through the 2022–23 season. [19]
Cronin had long been pushing for either a new arena or a renovation of Fifth Third Arena in order for the Bearcats to remain competitive on a national scale. In March 2017, the University of Cincinnati began an $87 million renovation which was completed in the fall of 2018. [20] Cronin said, "This building is about our future and is a testament to the commitment our university and donors have toward our programs." [21]
On April 9, 2019, Cronin was named the fourteenth head coach of the UCLA Bruins, replacing the fired Steve Alford. [22] At the time, the 47-year old Cronin had the most NCAA Division I wins (365) of any active coach younger than 50. [23] He was also one of only six coaches to have led their school to the NCAA tournament in each of the past nine seasons. [lower-alpha 1] Cronin had coached against the Bruins three times. After Cincinnati lost to UCLA in the 2017 NCAA tournament, they defeated the Bruins in two consecutive regular-season matches by an average of 21.5 points. Its 29-point win in 2018–19 was part of a UCLA four-game losing streak which led up to Alford's midseason dismissal. [24] In his first year in 2019–20, the Bruins starting slowly at 8–9 before going 11–3 and finishing second in the Pac-12 at 12–6. Cronin was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year. [25] The Bruins earned a No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the Pac-12 tournament. [26] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference tournament was cancelled before the Bruins' first scheduled game in the quarterfinals, and the NCAA tournament was called off as well. [27]
In 2020–21, UCLA finished their regular season with a 17–8 record, 13–6 in the Pac-12. They lost their last three regular-season games in a row and lost their game against Oregon State in the Pac-12 tournament. They were selected to open in the First Four of the NCAA tournament. [28] They defeated Michigan State in the First Four for the Bruins' first NCAA tournament win since 2017 [29] and then went on to defeat BYU in a first-round game on their way to reaching the Sweet Sixteen. Cronin then led the Bruins to an overtime victory over No. 2 seeded Alabama, reaching the Elite Eight for the first time in his coaching career (and the first for UCLA since 2008). [30] They defeated No. 1 seed Michigan to become the second First Four team to advance to the Final Four, the Bruins' first national semifinal since 2008. [31] They faced Gonzaga, who was seeking to become the first undefeated national champion since Indiana in 1976. [32] UCLA was a 14-point underdog, the largest Final Four point spread since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. [33] The Bruins lost 93–90 in overtime after the Bulldogs' Jalen Suggs banked in a 40-foot (12 m) shot as time expired in the game, [34] a match that featured 19 lead changes and 15 ties. [35]
On March 17, 2022, Cronin's contract was extended for 6 years to the 2027–28 season. He led the 2021–22 team to the Sweet Sixteen of the 2022 NCAA tournament, the first time the Bruins had reached the regional semifinals in consecutive seasons since 2015. [36] In 2022–23, they won their first Pac-12 regular season championship since 2012–13. [37] He was again voted the Pac-12 Coach of the Year. [38] A two-seed in the 2023 NCAA tournament, UCLA advanced to their third straight Sweet Sixteen. [39] They were eliminated by Gonzaga for the second time in three years. The Bulldogs' Julian Strawther made a 35-foot (11 m) basket with six seconds remaining, and they held on for the win. [40] In 2023–24, UCLA's roster had seven freshmen and eight newcomers overall, [41] along with three sophomores. [42] They were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament, ending Cronin's streak of 12 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. [43]
Before accepting the UCLA job, Cronin was very active in the Cincinnati area. Cronin annually spoke with the Young Executive Group of the Catholic Inner-City Schools Education (CISE) Fund. The group raises money from area corporations to help give children from low-income urban settings the opportunity to attend Catholic schools. [9]
Cronin resided in Anderson Township [44] in the Cincinnati area with his daughter Samantha. [9] He was married to Darlene Taylor until they divorced in 2009. [45] Cronin's father, Hep, who lives with Mick's sister, Kelly, attends Bearcats games, frequently attends their practices and sometimes travels with the team. [3] Cronin's mother, Peggy, died of cancer in 2005. His brother, Dan, starred at Bethel College in basketball and baseball, and was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1988. Dan is also a cancer survivor and will be Inducted into Bethel College HOF in 2024.
On December 22, 2014, during the 2014–2015 season, Cronin, 43, was diagnosed with an unruptured aneurysm detected when he underwent medical testing for unexplained headaches. On January 2, 2015, it was announced that, although doctors expected the condition to heal with rest and medication, Cronin would not coach the remainder of the season. However, Cronin said he felt great and that he would be able to continue to oversee the program and be involved in recruiting. [46] On March 30, 2015, Cronin announced he had a clean bill of health and was cleared to return to full-time coaching duties following his diagnosis of an arterial dissection. [47]
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Murray State Racers (Ohio Valley Conference)(2003–2006) | |||||||||
2003–04 | Murray State | 28–6 | 14–2 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
2004–05 | Murray State | 17–11 | 11–5 | T–2nd | |||||
2005–06 | Murray State | 24–7 | 17–3 | 1st | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
Murray State: | 69–24 (.742) | 42–10 (.808) | |||||||
Cincinnati Bearcats (Big East Conference)(2006–2013) | |||||||||
2006–07 | Cincinnati | 11–19 | 2–14 | 16th | |||||
2007–08 | Cincinnati | 13–19 | 8–10 | 10th | CBI first round | ||||
2008–09 | Cincinnati | 18–14 | 8–10 | T–9th | |||||
2009–10 | Cincinnati | 19–16 | 7–11 | T–11th | NIT second round | ||||
2010–11 | Cincinnati | 26–9 | 11–7 | T–6th | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
2011–12 | Cincinnati | 26–11 | 12–6 | T–4th | NCAA Division I Sweet 16 | ||||
2012–13 | Cincinnati | 22–12 | 9–9 | T–9th | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
Cincinnati Bearcats (American Athletic Conference)(2013–2019) | |||||||||
2013–14 | Cincinnati | 27–7 | 15–3 | T–1st | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
2014–15 | Cincinnati | 23–11 * | 13–5 * | T–3rd | NCAA Division I Round of 32 * | ||||
2015–16 | Cincinnati | 22–11 | 12–6 | T–3rd | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
2016–17 | Cincinnati | 30–6 | 16–2 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
2017–18 | Cincinnati | 31–5 | 16–2 | 1st | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
2018–19 | Cincinnati | 28–7 | 14–4 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
Cincinnati: | 296–147 (.668) | 135–87 (.608) | |||||||
UCLA Bruins (Pac-12 Conference)(2019–present) | |||||||||
2019–20 | UCLA | 19–12 | 12–6 | 2nd | No postseason held | ||||
2020–21 | UCLA | 22–10 | 13–6 | 4th | NCAA Division I Final Four | ||||
2021–22 | UCLA | 27–8 | 15–5 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Sweet 16 | ||||
2022–23 | UCLA | 31–6 | 18–2 | 1st | NCAA Division I Sweet 16 | ||||
2023–24 | UCLA | 16–17 | 10–10 | 5th | |||||
UCLA: | 115–53 (.685) | 68–21 (.764) | |||||||
Total: | 480–224 (.682) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion |
* ^a b c Cronin missed a portion of the 2014–15 season due to an illness, having only coached for the first nine games. Cronin was credited with both the wins and the losses for that season, based on a decision by athletic director Mike Bohn after school officials sought a ruling on the issue from the NCAA and were told that it was up to the school. [48]
Benjamin Clark Howland is an American college basketball coach who most recently served as the men's head coach at Mississippi State University from to 2015 to 2022. He served as the head men's basketball coach at Northern Arizona University from 1994 to 1999, the University of Pittsburgh from 1999 to 2003, and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from 2003 to 2013. Howland became the first men's coach in modern college basketball history to be fired shortly after winning an outright power-conference title. He is one of the few NCAA Division I coaches to take four teams to the NCAA tournament.
Murry Linn Bartow is an American former college basketball coach. As the head coach of the East Tennessee State Buccaneers, he was twice named the conference coach of the year, first in the Southern Conference in 2004 and later in the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2007. He was later an interim head coach with the South Florida Bulls and UCLA Bruins.
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in the sport of men's basketball as a member of the Big Ten Conference. Established in 1919, the program has won a record 11 NCAA titles. Coach John Wooden led the Bruins to 10 national titles in 12 seasons, from 1964 to 1975, including seven straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record four times. Coach Jim Harrick led the team to another NCAA title in 1995. Former coach Ben Howland led UCLA to three consecutive Final Four appearances from 2006 to 2008. As a member of the AAWU, Pacific-8 and then Pacific-10, UCLA set an NCAA Division I record with 13 consecutive regular season conference titles between 1967 and 1979 which stood until tied by Kansas in 2017. In 2024, UCLA departed the Pac-12 Conference and joined the Big Ten Conference on August 2, 2024.
The 2010–11 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins were led by head coach Ben Howland and played their home games at Pauley Pavilion. They finished the conference season in second place (13–5), and were a 2-seed at the 2011 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball tournament, where they lost to 7-seed Oregon in the quarterfinals. They received an at-large bid in the 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament as the #7 seeded team in the Southeast Region, where they defeated #10 seed Michigan State before falling to #2 seed Florida in the third round. They finished the season 23–11.
The 2011–12 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins competed in the Pac-12 Conference and were led by head coach Ben Howland. The team ended the season with a 19–14 record and did not participate in the NCAA National Championship tournament or the NIT.
The 2016–17 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins were led by fourth-year head coach Steve Alford and played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as members in the Pac-12 Conference. They rode their offense to a 28–3 regular season record, averaging 91 points per game with a 53 percent field goal percentage. The talented squad featured five future players in the National Basketball Association (NBA), including three eventual first-round draft picks.
The 2017–18 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins were led by fifth-year head coach Steve Alford and played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as members in the Pac-12 Conference. They finished the season 21–12, 11–7 in Pac-12 play to finish in a three-way tie for third place.
The 2018–19 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as members in the Pac-12 Conference. They were led by sixth-year head coach Steve Alford until he was fired mid-season and assistant Murry Bartow was named the interim head coach. Their lineup featured three former McDonald's All-Americans: sophomores Jaylen Hands and Kris Wilkes were both named second-team All-Pac-12, while first-year player Moses Brown was voted to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. UCLA finished the season 17–16, and lost in the second round of the Pac-12 tournament. They missed the postseason for the second time in four years.
The 2019–20 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles, during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I season. The Bruins were led by first-year head coach Mick Cronin and played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as members in the Pac-12 Conference. UCLA finished the season with a 19–12 record. After starting slowly at 8–9, they went 11–3 and finished second in the Pac-12 at 12–6. Cronin was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year, while junior Chris Smith earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors and was voted the Pac-12 Most Improved Player. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Pac-12 tournament was canceled before the Bruins' first scheduled game in the quarterfinals, and the NCAA tournament was called off as well.
Jonathan Anh Juzang is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He began his college basketball career playing one season with the Kentucky Wildcats before transferring and spending two seasons with the UCLA Bruins. A two-time all-conference selection in the Pac-12, Juzang earned third-team All-American honors as a junior in 2022. As a sophomore, he was named to the All-Tournament Team of the 2021 NCAA tournament, as the Bruins advanced to the Final Four.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. is a Mexican-American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins of the Pac-12 Conference. Jaquez was named a consensus second-team All-American and voted the Pac-12 Player of the Year as a senior in 2023. He earned three All-Pac-12 selections, including first-team honors twice. Jaquez was also a two-time member of the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. He was selected by the Heat in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft with the 18th overall pick. He is nicknamed ”Juan Wick” for his Mexican heritage and perceived resemblance to John Wick.
Tyger Campbell is an American professional basketball player for Rasta Vechta of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL). He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins of the Pac-12 Conference. Three times he earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors.
Adem Bona is a Nigerian-Turkish basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. Named a McDonald's All-American in high school, he was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team and voted the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2023. Bona was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection and voted the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2024.
The 2020–21 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I season. The Bruins were led by second-year head coach Mick Cronin and played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as members of the Pac-12 Conference. Tyger Campbell was named first-team all-conference, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Johnny Juzang were selected second-team All-Pac-12. Jaquez also earned Pac-12 All-Defensive team honors.
The 2021–22 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I season. The Bruins were led by third-year head coach Mick Cronin and they played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as members of the Pac-12 Conference. All ten players from the previous year's Final Four team returned. Johnny Juzang earned third-team All-American honors, and he was named first-team all-conference along with Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jaquez Jr. Jaquez, Jaylen Clark and Myles Johnson were also voted to the Pac-12 All-Defensive team. New this season is that the team's footwear, apparel, and equipment are provided by Jordan Brand and Nike.
Amari Bailey is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In high school, he was selected as a McDonald's All-American and California Mr. Basketball. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, earning all-freshman honors in the Pac-12 Conference in his only season. He was selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft.
The 2022–23 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I season. The Bruins were led by fourth-year head coach Mick Cronin, and they played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as members of the Pac-12 Conference. Guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. was named a second-team All-American. He was voted the Pac-12 Player of the Year, and received first-team All-Pac-12 honors along with guard Tyger Campbell. Guard Jaylen Clark was named to the second team and was voted the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. He was placed on the conference's all-defensive team along with forward Adem Bona, who was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. Amari Bailey joined Bona on the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, and Cronin was voted the Pac-12 Coach of the Year.
Jaylen Bryce Clark is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins of the Pac-12 Conference, earning national honors as both the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and NABC Defensive Player of the Year as a junior in 2023, when he was also voted the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. A two-time Pac-12 All-Defensive Team selection, Clark was named second-team All-Pac-12 as well that year. He was selected by the Timberwolves in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft.
The 2023–24 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins were led by fifth-year head coach Mick Cronin, and they played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. It was the Bruins' final season as a member of the Pac-12 before joining the Big Ten Conference on July 1, 2024.
The 2024–25 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins are led by sixth-year head coach Mick Cronin, and they played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as first year members of the Big Ten Conference.
Taylor and Cronin were married. They divorced 10 years ago.