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Mick Cronin got to take a test drive as a coach on the sidelines at Assembly Hall, and he lead his UCLA team to a victory, though not without drama. Two stories programs dreaming of yesteryear to varying degrees met as Indiana basketball hosted the Bruins in a Big Ten Conference game.
One coach, Cronin, seems unhappy with his arrangement, and could very well replace the man who stood on the opposite sideline. In fact, IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel wrote as much after the Bruins beat Indiana, led by Mike Woodson who is stepping down at season’s end which, for the moment, appears to be a minimum of six games — five regular season and a Big Ten Tournament opener.
Doyel: This wasn’t just UCLA edging IU. It was Mick Cronin’s job audition at Assembly Hall
Only 15 teams in the 18-team league will descend on the Circle City for the event March 12-16 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Hoosiers (15-11, 6-9 Big Ten) are 1 ½ games up on Northwestern and Washington, which are tied for 16th, and three games up on Penn State. But IU’s road could cause them to miss the tournament: vs. Purdue, vs. Penn State, at Washington, at Oregon and vs. Ohio State.
“I just think it’s tough to do that stuff during the season. The whole thing has gotten so crazy, and I don’t like to see that. As far as me, I would never comment on a coaching situation. It would be wildly inappropriate,” Cronin said, while continuing on. “I’m the son of a coach and the way that I look at it, Mike Woodson is the coach at Indiana. He was a national champion and I happen to know him and his staff. I have tremendous respect for their kids and their team. To me, no one should say anything that distracts from what they’re doing. I think it would be wildly inappropriate, mostly because of my respect for coach Woodson. He’s over there coaching his team. That’s my stance.”
Regardless, the Hoosiers will be looking for a new coach with a hope of returning to the glory days. Their last Sweet 16 was in 2016 and they’ve only been to the NCAA tournament twice since, both in Woodson’s first two seasons. IU’s last Elite Eight was in 2002, the year Indiana lost to Maryland in the national championship game.
Indiana is starved for success, longing to win its sixth national championship. It claims fame to the last undefeated national champion, which was 49 years ago. Of course, UCLA has won 11 national championships, including seven straight from 1967 to 1973. Three of those were undefeated seasons, plus another in 1964. And Cronin even led the Bruins to a Final Four four years ago.
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The parallels are similar, and Cronin said so Friday.
“To be a great program you have to have great tradition and the backbone of support of all the guys in your tradition that played. I’ve got guys like Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] and Mike Warren and Jamaal Wilkes, the tremendous support of guys at every game,” he said. “You need tradition, support, your fanbase, and your former players. I don’t know the answer to what’s intact here, but I know my mentality. I walk out and see coach (Bob) Knight like I walk out at my facility and see coach (John) Wooden.”
But UCLA (19-7, 10-5) is in severe financial debt and Cronin has stressed the burden travel has been on his team, and he equated it to NBA teams struggling with similar travel. Friday’s win over IU was this season’s Bruins’ first in the Central or Eastern time zones.
He’s a popular name on hot boards, and is included in IndyStar’s hot board. So, too, was Brad Stevens, the Boston Celtics president who made a statement saying he’s happy in his role. Should athletic director Scott Dolson have Cronin on his list of coaching candidates, here’s what UCLA’s big whistle said about the rumors.
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“Some people would be happy because some people want me fired. When you’re a coach, you have to check your ego,” Cronin said. “They booed John Calipari at Kentucky. They wouldn’t have booed Bob Knight, if he walked in here, I can promise you that. That’s just the way it is. I’m well aware that I might be on a board for a job, but somebody might want me to lose my job. We got beat on Tuesday, go ahead and check on those boards.”
A trend of hiring coaches who can bring players with them fits Cronin. It’s a strategy that already worked out for Dolson when he hired Curt Cignetti to lead Indiana football, which made its way to the College Football Playoff with a host of James Madison transfers. Even Cignetti had to deny he was lobbying for someone Saturday.
But Cronin has a winning background: won the Ohio Valley and reached two NCAA tournaments in three seasons at Murray State, made nine straight NCAA tournaments and won two American Athletic Conference regular-season titles at Cincinnati and has continued success at UCLA with the Final Four in his second season and winning the Pac-12 in 2022-23.
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Dylan Andrews, who was 1 for 7 from the field and a two-year starter, iced the game with free throws and would fit into that category. Four starters do, too, and reserves in 7-foot-3 post, Aday Mara, and Chicago native Sebastian Mack could give Cronin a core to build around in Bloomington, easing the learning curve and roster management.
“We’re playing at Assembly Hall — you don’t just come to Indiana and win a game like that,” Andrews said. “It was a gritty win. It’s just a credit to my team, to my coach, credit to everybody. This is a big win for us.”
Was the Valentine’s Day win love at first sight? The carousel will continue turning until there’s an answer.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana basketball coaching rumors: Will Mick Cronin leave UCLA?