Mick Cronin to UCLA

[SouthernCuse]

I wonder what about his 22-32 conference record and 2 nits and a ncaa play in game loss at tcu impresses ucla.

Wassn't TCU a 6 seed, and we beat ASU in the play in?
Not that it changes the point. However, TCU was a bball doormat.

 

[rrlbees]

Wassn't TCU a 6 seed, and we beat ASU in the play in?
Not that it changes the point. However, TCU was a bball doormat.

Yea, I got them backwards. Still a first round loss to go with his two NIT bids.

 

[Frozen]

Remember when Wichita’s Marshall was a hot name?

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Wow how many guys have turned this job down for them to shoulder tap Dixon?

Bennett should take that job even if it wins it all this weekend.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

He didn’t have Jaylen Fisher pretty much all year and we didn’t have to beat them with him last March either. If he was healthy they probably take Baylor’s spot in the dance Baylor was one loss away from not making it their resume was pretty poor and they had lost 4 straight until they got to light up Buddy and the zone.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[TacoTime75]

UCLA with absolutely zero mojo. Can't even get their 5th option.

 

[AZOrange]

Would be hilariously ironic to hire Dixon

 

[kingtidge]

I always felt Howland was a very good coach but that Dixon was very overrated. UCLA can have him.

Dixon built a mugger's version of handcheck-U at Pitt that was taylor-made for the big east... It also explains why he continually flamed out in the tourney, where they actually called fouls on his team's hand checking, posession after posession...

If UCLA are seriously looking at him after running Howland out, they will get what they deserve...

 

[721Comstock]

UCLA with absolutely zero mojo. Can't even get their 5th option.

WHY on earth would TCU reduce Dixon's buyout??

Unless they actively want to get rid of him (which seems highly unlikely, in spite of him being Jamie Dixon), the entire point of a buyout is to protect themselves in exactly this situation, and to be compensated accordingly if Dixon does indeed end up leaving anyway.

UCLA is likely going to end up very, very disappointed in who they are actually able to land, when this is all said and done.

 

[City of Cuse]

We can all give Dixon a hard time, but look what happened to Pitt once he left. That dude is solid. TCU is all the sudden a 20 win team, when's the last time they have had any success in consecutive seasons?

I don't necessarily love his philosophy, but he gets it done, except in March and calling a timeout for Ennis to drain a buzzer beater.

 

[manleyzoo]

The new guy has to fit in L.A., especially Westwood. which obviously only one poster seems to understand. There's a lot more to do out here than most anywhere else in the country besides going to a UCLA game, so the new coach is going to be competing hard for attention for the team. It's not just about wins and losses, it's a bigger ask than that. Would you rather go to a UCLA hoop game or hang out in Santa Monica or chill at the beach (no, there's no comparing gulf coast beaches with L.A. beaches, that's just plain dumb) or head to the mountains for a ski weekend or the desert to hike or ride a mountain bike trail or a gazillion other things to do year round. Ppl here don't hunker down for the winter and go to games when there's nothing else to do. The new guy is going to have to have a personality. Not sure Dixon can do that. He can put up some numbers for sure but that won't be enough. Even Lavin, who had the look, didn't have the personality for L.A. A young, energetic, smiley-faced guy who's won at a lesser school but is looking to make it big might be just the right fit.

 

[CuseCactus]

Fort Worth or Westwood. Hmmm. I guess if religion is a big deal TCU wins. Otherwise, kinda tough to debate which place is more appealing. Especially if the job is a 7 figure one. If I was Dixon, I'd help with the buyout.

 

[manleyzoo]

So you're going to leave an income tax free state for one of the most expensive places to live in america, crazy taxes, and you'll be flying commercial to recruiting trips/games in a dying conference with an atrocious TV deal?

Pass.

Wake me up when you have even one idea of what you're talking about.

 

[kingtidge]

I'm not sure the "slickback dickback" look will fly in LA...

 

[UnknownOrange]

Wake me up when you have even one idea of what you're talking about.

Well let's see...

California has higher taxes then Texas
LA is a very expensive place to live
UCLA has been known to fly the team commercial, and fly coaches commercial on recruiting trips
The Pac 12 is easily the worst of the P5 Conferences
The Pac 12 TV deal is terrible

What was so egregious about what I said?

 

[hoopsupstate]

I'm not sure the "slickback dickback" look will fly in LA...

I think Pat Riley comes to mind and he did ok.

 

[kingtidge]

I think Pat Riley comes to mind and he did ok.

Have you ever throat-punched someone?

If not, you'll want to now.

 

[manleyzoo]

Well let's see...

California has higher taxes then Texas
LA is a very expensive place to live
UCLA has been known to fly the team commercial, and fly coaches commercial on recruiting trips
The Pac 12 is easily the worst of the P5 Conferences
The Pac 12 TV deal is terrible

What was so egregious about what I said?

Sorry btw that my post was so agro, just re-read it, my bad.
Yes, the conference sucks but those things are cyclical. It's more about strong coaches in the league's hot spots than anything. Like any league, it needs two or three to be really good, three or four to be pretty good and the rest can suck. Yes, the Pac 12 TV deal is awful. Yes, UCLA flies commercial but that's changing with the new coach. Yes, LA is pricey. Yes, California has higher taxes, so what? None of that will matter to a coach making 7 figures plus. It's California. Whoever makes it work in LA gets quite a ride.

 

[jgeorge322]

The new guy has to fit in L.A., especially Westwood. which obviously only one poster seems to understand. There's a lot more to do out here than most anywhere else in the country besides going to a UCLA game, so the new coach is going to be competing hard for attention for the team. It's not just about wins and losses, it's a bigger ask than that. Would you rather go to a UCLA hoop game or hang out in Santa Monica or chill at the beach (no, there's no comparing gulf coast beaches with L.A. beaches, that's just plain dumb) or head to the mountains for a ski weekend or the desert to hike or ride a mountain bike trail or a gazillion other things to do year round. Ppl here don't hunker down for the winter and go to games when there's nothing else to do. The new guy is going to have to have a personality. Not sure Dixon can do that. He can put up some numbers for sure but that won't be enough. Even Lavin, who had the look, didn't have the personality for L.A. A young, energetic, smiley-faced guy who's won at a lesser school but is looking to make it big might be just the right fit.

Im taking gulf beaches. Better water.

Also, no leaves to rake in LA. That frees up a lot of time.

If ucla wins, fans will come. You act like they need to fill up a 100k stadium. Pauley seats 13k. LA has 4 million people.

 

[manleyzoo]

Im taking gulf beaches. Better water.

Also, no leaves to rake in LA. That frees up a lot of time.

If ucla wins, fans will come. You act like they need to fill up a 100k stadium. Pauley seats 13k. LA has 4 million people.

Yes, you're right, brutal humidity, erratic surfing, jellyfish, bugs, crowds, how can LA beaches top that?

 

[jgeorge322]

Yes, you're right, brutal humidity, erratic surfing, jellyfish, bugs, crowds, how can LA beaches top that?

Beaches in naples arent like that. Not a surfer though.

 

[HoustonCuse]

Fort Worth or Westwood. Hmmm. I guess if religion is a big deal TCU wins. Otherwise, kinda tough to debate which place is more appealing. Especially if the job is a 7 figure one. If I was Dixon, I'd help with the buyout.

I don't live in Ft. Worth, but I do live in Texas and I can tell you there isn't a compelling reason for me to move to LA. At least for a mortal with normal salary/job etc, you would have to be substantially insane to make such a move.

Salary and cost of living aside, and even accounting for the milder weather in California, I still find Texas to be infinitely more appealing. You clearly disagree which is fine but to say there is no debate is a very myopic statement specific to yourself.

In any event, us regular Joe's have a much different decision criteria for any career or geographic move as compared to a high major basketball coach which is a different category of human with drastically different priorities and incentives.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I could see that. I bet he'd do great there.
He always used to kill our zone, and he won even more games at Pitt than the really good Ben Howland teams. He never could get over the hump in the NCAA tournament, but as much as we want to forget those days, in the 1990s, Pitt and UConn carried the Big East and battled for the title every year. Howland and then Dixon built and maintained a very good program.

EDIT: I read the thread above and see how critical people are of this hire, saying UCLA fans are unrealistic I think you're forgetting how down the PAC-12 is right now. Hop's teams haven't been that great and he's been Coach of the Year back-to-back years, and just won that league by 3 games.

Arizona is in a world of hurt right now. Bobby Hurley isn't "all that" at Arizona State after all. USC is kind of a mess right now. Somebody who is established and experienced running a program might be just what they need. Stability, great defense, commitment to winning.

 

[Macho Uno]

I'm predicting somehow UCLA ends up with Shaka, and Texas ends up with Cronin.