The Sideline with Andy Katz | Mick Cronin, UCLA Men's Basketball

 Sep 9, 2025

Hear UCLA head coach Mick Cronin join Andy Katz on The Sideline to discuss his team, coaching philosophy, and the season ahead.

UCLA M. Basketball Media Availability - Coach Cronin (Aug. 26, 2025)

UCLA Athletics 

Aug 26, 2025

Coach Cronin met with local reporters following UCLA’s summer workout on Tuesday morning in the Mo Ostin Basketball Center.

CBS Sports College BBALL: UCLA's Mick Cronin explains why having the best team, means getting the oldest team

Aug 18, 2025

UCLA Head Coach chats with Jon Rothstein about his impact transfer Donovan Dent, the reason why you need to "get old and stay old" and how NIL and the transfer portal have altered college athletics.

 

LOVE MY COACH!!!

Video description: "Coach Cronin joined the Bruin Insider Show on Tuesday, Dec. 10, two days after the UCLA men's basketball team improved to 8-1 overall with a 73-71 win at No. 12-ranked Oregon."

Former UCLA Assistant Coach Mark Gottfried's podcast: "Mick Cronin: At The Helm of UCLA Men's Basketball"

 

Apr 17, 2024

Coach Mark Gottfried sits down with Mick Cronin, Head Coach of the Men’s Basketball program at UCLA. Both coaches talk about the grind of coaching, the undeniable sacrifices you have to make in order to be great, and the change in college basketball’s landscape.

1:41 – Childhood influenced by father’s coaching and scouting.

3:54 – Gaining coaching experience at the high school level.

6:24 – Learning opportunities in coaching basketball at Murray State.

12:02 – Challenges of building a sustainable NCAA program amidst the NIL and transfer portal.

18:18 – Concerns about uncertainty in student-athlete pay in college sports.

22:14 – Embrace challenges, avoid complaints, and seek solutions.

23:18 – Mick is admired for his honesty and integrity with players.

29:38 – Upholding honesty and dedication in parenting and coaching.

32:09 – Coaches’ expectations and recruiting tactics analyzed critically.

35:42 – Influential coaching experiences and learning from mentors.

39:22 – Coach Bob Huggins’ distinctive coaching enhances players’ rebounding skills.

41:47 – Alabama’s 1987 Sweet 16 loss to Providence.

47:31 – Grew up and coached in Cincinnati for 18 years.

49:05 – Mick left Cincinnati for a better opportunity to be head coach at UCLA.

51:42 – UCLA’s move to the Big Ten and the opportunities and challenges that come with it.

54:52 – “People don’t realize how busy you are during the sports season.”

Coach Mick Cronin Media availability Mar 21, 2023

Prior to leaving for Las Vegas for the Sweet 16. Thanks for the video, UCLA Athletics! 

Coach Cronin Signs Two-Year Contract Extension

 uclabruins.com | Apr 6, 2020 | LOS ANGELES 

UCLA has signed head men's basketball coach Mick Cronin to a two-year contract extension through the 2026-27 season, it was announced today by Martin Jarmond, the Alice and Nahum Lainer Family Director of Athletics. The contract extension will be worth a guaranteed $4 million per year.
 
Through two seasons as The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach, Cronin has compiled a 41-22 record and led the Bruins' 2020-21 team to the NCAA Final Four, UCLA's first such appearance since 2008.
 
"In less than two years in Westwood – through seasons disrupted by a global pandemic – Mick has led UCLA Men's Basketball back to its rightful place among the nation's elite," Jarmond said. "His leadership has given Bruin Nation a program to be proud of, galvanizing alumni and fans around the world, and it's only the beginning. This extension represents the stability and commitment needed to execute the long-term vision that Mick and I share. The future is bright."
 
UCLA went 22-10 in 2020-21 and advanced to the program's first NCAA Final Four since 2008. The Bruins finished fourth in the Pac-12 standings with a 13-6 record and entered the NCAA Tournament as a "First Four" selection. UCLA took down Michigan State in the First Four contest before registering wins over BYU, Abilene Christian, Alabama and Michigan, en route to the Final Four. UCLA had three players – Tyger Campbell, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Johnny Juzang – who secured All-Pac-12 honors.
 
"I am extremely grateful to Chancellor Block and Martin Jarmond for the opportunity to continue leading the UCLA program," Cronin said. "I love being at UCLA. The commitment from our players over the past two seasons has been rewarding, especially as we have dealt with some unusual challenges during a global pandemic. I would like to thank our players and my coaching staff for their continued commitment to build this basketball program into something of which we can all be proud. I am humbled by the support of the Bruin community. We are looking forward to next season when we can get back into Pauley Pavilion with our fans."
 
The Bruins recorded a No. 7 final ranking earlier this week in the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll, powered by USA Today Sports, marking the program's best finish since a No. 4 ranking in 2007-08.
 
UCLA's 2020-21 squad featured a balanced scoring attack with at least six players who averaged at least 10 points per game. The Bruins ranked No. 13 in the nation in fewest turnovers committed per game (10.6) and compiled a record of 13-4 in games decided by five points or fewer (including contests that advanced into overtime).
 
The Bruins' 2019-20 team finished the year with 11 wins in their final 14 games before the COVID-19 pandemic prompted cancellations of the Pac-12 Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. UCLA had finished with a 12-6 record in Pac-12 play during Cronin's first season at UCLA. The Bruins finished second in the Pac-12 standings.
 
Fans can now reserve seats for all of the 2021-22 home games in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Click here to place a $99 season ticket deposit, or contact the UCLA Athletics Sales & Service staff for more information (310-206-5991/tickets@athletics.ucla.edu).

Media availability Apr 2, 2021: Coach Cronin, Johnny and Jaime at the Final 4.

Courtesy of UCLA Athletics 

Coach Cronin

Johnny

Jaime

Mick Cronin on the Dan Patrick Show (Full Interview) 4/1/21

 The Dan Patrick Show

Coach Mick Cronin talks Alabama with Jim Rome

 Thanks, The Jim Rome Show! 

Media Availability March 17, 2021 prior to MSU game tomorrow

 CTTO

Men's Basketball March 15, 2021

Bruins Set to Face Michigan State on Thursday

uclabruins.com/INDIANAPOLIS – UCLA will make its 50th all-time appearance at the NCAA Tournament this week. The No. 11-seed Bruins (17-9) will take on No. 11-seed Michigan State (15-12) on Thursday night at Purdue's Mackey Arena (West Lafayette, Ind.). UCLA's matchup on Thursday is one of four "First Four" contests in this season's NCAA Tournament. The winner of this Thursday's showdown will face No. 6-seed BYU on Saturday evening.

 
Through the program's previous 49 NCAA Tournament appearances, UCLA has gone 106-42 with a nation-leading 11 NCAA Championships. UCLA won 10 of those 11 NCAA titles from 1964-75, including a streak of seven consecutive national championships from 1967 through 1973 (under the late Coach John Wooden). UCLA most recently advanced to the NCAA Tournament (First Four) in 2018. The Bruins have not reached the Final Four since three consecutive trips in 2006, 2007 and 2008 under former head coach Ben Howland. Head coach Mick Cronin, in his second season at UCLA, has now led Murray State, Cincinnati and UCLA to NCAA Tournaments in 18 seasons as a collegiate head coach.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Mackey Arena (West Lafayette, Indiana)
Game Time: 6:57 p.m. PT (9:57 p.m. ET)
Television: TBS
TV Talent: Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Jim Jackson (analyst), Allie LaForce (sideline)
Radio (UCLA Sports Network): AM 570
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SIRIUS and XM Radio Channels: Ch. 206 / Ch. 206
SIRIUSXM Internet Channel: Ch. 206
 
ACCESSING GAME NOTES
All men's basketball game notes are available online (link: https://ucla.in/3m8vfrm). In an effort to reduce wasted paper, UCLA Athletics encourages individuals to view game notes online (via laptop, tablet or a mobile device). The link above also provides access to PDF versions of game notes from opposing teams, as well as PDF versions from the previous three men's basketball seasons.
 
ABOUT THE BRUINS
- UCLA went 13-6 in Pac-12 play this season, winning their first eight conference contests.
- The Bruins are making their 50th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, their first since 2018.
- Mick Cronin is currently midway through his second season as the Bruins' head coach (36-21 record in two years).
- None of UCLA's players who will be suiting up on Thursday have ever played in the NCAA Tournament.
- Dating back to last season, UCLA has won 20 of its past 27 Pac-12 contests (and 28 of 40 overall games).
- Not including Chris Smith (injured), UCLA has five active players who have averaged at least 10.0 points per game.
- UCLA ranked No. 3 in the Pac-12 in fewest turnovers per game (11.1) and fewest fouls committed per game (16.0).
- The Bruins ranked No. 3 among all Pac-12 programs in 3-point percentage (36.7%), trailing Oregon and Arizona.
- The Bruins have committed fewer fouls than their opponent in 21 of 26 games this season.
 
INDIVIDUAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Tyger Campbell (first team), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (second team) and Johnny Juzang (second team) earned All-Pac-12 honors.
- Tyger Campbell (10.5 ppg, 5.6 apg) ranks No. 2 in the Pac-12 in assists per game and No. 4 in assist-turnover ratio (2.8).
- Tyger Campbell (34.0) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (33.8) have ranked No. 4 and 7, respectively, in the Pac-12 in minutes/game.
- Tyger Campbell has secured first-team NABC All-District honors (one of five players to earn first team acclaim).
- Johnny Juzang leads all Pac-12 players in free throw percentage (93.3%, 42 of 45), headed into the NCAA Tournament.
- David Singleton ranks No. 3 in the Pac-12 in 3-point percentage (45.9%, 34-for-74), through Monday, March 15.
 
10 CONSECUTIVE
Mick Cronin is one of just five coaches to have led his teams to the past 10 NCAA Tournaments. That includes nine consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances as the head coach at Cincinnati (2011-19). Joining Cronin on that list are Mark Few (Gonzaga), Tom Izzo (Michigan State), Bill Self (Kansas) and Roy Williams (North Carolina).
 
NOT OUR FIRST FOUR
UCLA advanced to the NCAA Tournament's "First Four" in March of 2018, marking the program's most recent NCAA Tournament appearance. The Bruins lost to St. Bonaventure, 65-58, on March 13, 2018 at the University of Dayton (UD Arena). Chris Smith is UCLA's only player on this year's roster to have been on that team.This marks the Bruins' second apperance at the "First Four" since the NCAA adopted the current 68-team format in 2011.
 
UCLA vs. MICHIGAN STATE
The Bruins have gone 6-4 against Michigan State in an all-time series that began in 1952. Most recently, Michigan State defeated UCLA (75-62) in the 2019 Maui Invitational and at the 2018 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational (Michigan State won, 87-67, in Nov. 2018 at Orleans Arena). Last season's matchup in Maui was the first time one of Mick Cronin's teams faced Michigan State and head coach Tom Izzo. Prior to those two matchups (2018, 2019), UCLA edged Michigan State (78-76) in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament in Tampa, Fla. (only previous NCAA Tournament meeting).
 
A CLOSER LOOK
Chris Smith scored a team-high 13 points off the bench in last season's 75-62 loss to Michigan State on the final day of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. Cody Riley had 11 points, while Tyger Campbell and Prince Ali each totaled 10 points. The Bruins out-rebounded the Spartans by a 33-22 margin and trailed at halftime, 26-23.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT
UCLA absorbed an 83-79 loss in overtime to Oregon State in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament on Thursday, March 11 (at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas). Jules Bernard finished with team-highs in scoring (19 points) and rebounding (10 rebounds). UCLA led 32-16 with two minutes to play in the first half and was ahead at the intermission, 34-24. Oregon State overcame a 69-65 deficit in the game's final 45 seconds and the two teams were deadlocked (70-70) at the conclusion of the second half. Oregon State shot 57.7 percent in the second half against UCLA last Thursday.
 
SINCE 1985, SWEET 16
In March of 2017, the Bruins advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 (regional semifinals) for the 14th time since the tournament field expanded to at least 64 teams, starting in 1985. Previous Sweet 16 trips (since 1985) have occurred in 1990, 1992, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2015 and 2017. Through those 14 appearances, the Bruins have posted a 6-8 record with four trips to the Final Four (1995, 2006, 2007 and 2008). In the four most recent trips to the Final Four, UCLA has compiled a 3-3 record (including the 1995 NCAA title). Overall, UCLA has advanced to 49 NCAA Tournaments and 18 NCAA Final Fours and won a nation-leading 11 NCAA Championships.
 
MOST RECENT "SWEET 16"
UCLA advanced to the Sweet 16 in March 2017 for the third time in four seasons. Through that four-year span (2014-2017), the Bruins were just the sixth team in the country to have earned at least three Sweet 16 trips. Joining UCLA on that six-team list included Arizona, Gonzaga, Kentucky, North Carolina and Wisconsin. As the No. 3 seed in the 2017 tournament's South Region (Sacramento, Calif.), UCLA downed Kent State in a first round contest (97-80) before taking down Cincinnati two days later (79-67). The Bruins' season ended in the Sweet 16, as No. 2-seed Kentucky outlasted UCLA, 86-75, at FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn. That marked UCLA's fourth game against Kentucky in four seasons.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
The winner of Thursday night's nationally-televised contest between UCLA and Michigan State will face BYU on Saturday night in Indianapolis. Similar to Michigan State, the Bruins faced BYU in last season's Maui Jim Maui Invitational. UCLA lost to BYU (78-63) in the first contest for both teams on the island of Maui (Nov. 25, 2019). UCLA trailed BYU at halftime, 36-32, and took a 52-51 lead with just over 11 minutes to play in the second half. BYU closed the game on a 27-11 scoring run to record the first-round victory. Jules Bernard scored a team-high 16 points for the Bruins.
 
THE ALL-TIME SERIES
UCLA has registered a 12-12 all-time record against BYU. Prior to last season's non-conference tilt at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, the Bruins had secured an 86-79 win over BYU at the Honda Center (as part of the John Wooden Classic) on Dec. 18, 2010. The two schools first faced off during the 1929-30 season.
 
STREAK SNAPPED
UCLA's 18-game home winning streak ended in the regular-season finale (lost to USC, 64-63). USC's Tahj Eaddy hit a 3-pointer from the corner with 1.4 seconds left on the clock. The Bruins had won 18 consecutive home games prior to that contest. That 18-game streak began with a 50-40 win against California on Jan. 19, 2020. The Bruins' 18-game home winning streak marked the program's best such streak (at home) since logging 25 consecutive home victories from Feb. 2006 through Nov. 2007. Most recently, UCLA had a perfect home record in 2006-07, going 16-0 in Pauley Pavilion.
 
UCLA IN INDIANA
The Bruins are playing their first NCAA Tournament games in the state of Indiana since the 2006 Final Four, hosted that season at the RCA Dome (home of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts from 1984-2007). In 2006, UCLA downed LSU in the national semifinal (59-45) and lost to Florida (73-57) in the championship contest. Thursday's game against Michigan State will mark UCLA's first game at Purdue's Mackey Arena since Dec. 30, 2001, when the Bruins outlasted Purdue, 87-82. Last season, the Bruins played at Notre Dame in a non-conference showdown (Notre Dame won, 75-61).
 
COACH WOODEN'S ALMA MATER
John Wooden served as UCLA's head coach for 27 season (1948-49 through 1974-75), winning 10 NCAA titles in Westwood. Coach Wooden graduated from Purdue in 1932, securing All-America honors on the basketball team from 1930-32. He served as Purdue's team captain in 1931 and 1932.

Media availability Dec 21, 2020

from UCLA Athletics on You Tube

Coach Cronin spoke to the media via Zoom on Monday afternoon, two days prior to UCLA's game at No. 25 Oregon. The Bruins will play at Oregon on Wednesday, Dec. 23, at 12 p.m. (PT).

Junior Jules Bernard and sophomore Tyger Campbell spoke to the media via Zoom on Monday afternoon, two days prior to UCLA's game at No. 25 Oregon.

 

Post-Marquette Q & A's with Coach Cronin, J3 and Bernard

Pac-12 Media Day – Mick Cronin, Chris Smith (Nov. 12, 2020)

 

MBB Zoom Virtual Chat Recording Coach Cronin May 29 2020

UCLA Athletics - UCLA Men’s Basketball Virtual Chat featuring Head Coach Mick Cronin (Friday, May 29 at 11:00 AM)

Media Availability Feb 25, 2020

from UCLA Athletics

Coach Cronin spoke to the media prior to UCLA's practice on Tuesday morning in the Mo Ostin Basketball Center. UCLA will host Arizona State on Thursday, Feb. 27. Game time is 8 p.m. (PT).



Jake Kyman, Chris Smith and Jalen Hill spoke to reporters on Tuesday in the Mo Ostin Basketball Center. UCLA will host Arizona State on Thursday, Feb. 27. Game time is 8 p.m. (PT).

Feb 18 Media availability - Coach Mick Cronin, Tyger Campbell, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Cody Riley

from UCLA Athletics

Media Availability Dec 31, 2019

UCLA Athletics

Coach Cronin spoke to members of the media on Tuesday afternoon, prior the team's practice in the Mo Ostin Basketball Center. UCLA (7-6) returns to action at Washington (10-3) this Thursday evening at Alaska Airlines Arena.

 Jules Bernard, Tyger Campbell and Jalen Hill spoke to the media prior to practice on Tuesday afternoon. UCLA (7-6) will face Washington (10-3) in Seattle this Thursday evening at 7 p.m. (PT).

Media Availability Dec 19, 2019

from UCLA Athletics

Coach Cronin spoke to members of the media on Thursday morning, two days in advance of UCLA's game against North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic this Saturday. The Bruins will play at T-Mobile Arena at 12 p.m. (PT).



Shareef O'Neal, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Cody Riley talked to reporters on Thursday morning in the Mo Ostin Basketball Center. The Bruins' game against North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic this Saturday will take place in Las Vegas (T-Mobile Arena). Game time is 12 p.m. (PT).

LA Times: UCLA basketball’s Mick Cronin knows how to make a point with the pine

"YOU! ON THE BENCH!!!" 

UCLA coach Mick Cronin has no qualms about taking a player off the floor for making mental mistakes.

(Darryl Oumi / Getty Images)

dec 11, 2019 | BEN BOLCH | THE L.A. TIMES | ARTICLE LINK

The whistle blew and Prince Ali acted like he knew what was coming next.

After slapping hands together in frustration over his needless foul underneath UCLA’s basket midway through the second half Sunday, the senior guard glanced at the bench and drifted toward the sideline as the buzzer signaled a player substitution.

Chris Smith was in, Ali was out.

It’s become a familiar routine over the Bruins’ first 10 games under coach Mick Cronin, who has pulled players after mistakes to use the bench as an ally while treating some early season games against overmatched opponents like practice situations.

“You want to teach; you never want to take guys’ confidence,” Cronin said Wednesday of his approach. “But there is a time where you do have to make a point.”

The point with Ali was that you can’t foul somebody near the baseline after missing a layup. It’s the sort of play, Cronin said, that could turn a victory into defeat.

“We are not talented enough to overcome mistakes, whatever you want to call them — bonehead plays, you pick your adjective, fouling 86 feet from the basket, whatever you want to call them,” Cronin said. “It already cost us one game.”

Cronin was referring to forward Cody Riley’s technical foul in the second half against Hofstra last month that sparked the Pride’s comeback during an eventual 10-point victory over the Bruins. Cronin said Riley realized the magnitude of his mistake.

“He was in my office the next day almost crying; he’s searching me out to apologize,” Cronin said. “He didn’t sleep. But we got to grow up. [The players] care, so it’s my job to teach them.”

Cronin’s quick hooks have become so routine that some players have immediately walked toward the bench after throwing a bad pass or committing a traveling violation without even looking to make sure somebody else was entering the game.

Smith said getting repeatedly pulled from games didn’t shake his confidence.

“We all want to get better,” Smith said. “If you come out of a game, you come out for a reason. Either you did something wrong and they coach you up on the sideline or just matchups, somebody could get in there that’s got a better matchup than you, so you get snatched, you come to the bench to learn.”

Players who have been yanked often sit in what could be described as the teaching chair among assistant coaches Darren Savino, Michael Lewis and Rod Palmer.

“They just tell you what you probably should have done, ask what you were thinking and just go from there,” Ali said of the assistants. “It’s a learning experience.”

Cronin arrived at UCLA with a reputation as a player’s coach despite his demanding ways and said he tried to ensure that his new players realize he will always prioritize their value as people over whatever they accomplish on the court.

Sometimes he removes players when they would surely prefer to play on.

“There are other times,” Cronin said, “where you can’t take a guy out because you don’t have anybody to put in.”

Etc.

UCLA’s poor shot selection is among the reasons the Bruins have made only 30.9% of their three-pointers, Cronin said. The coach has worked with Ali, who has made 21.1% of his shots from beyond the arc, on squaring up his body toward the basket. “Sometimes when I shoot,” Ali said, “I twist a little bit and that affects my percentage.” … Sophomore guard David Singleton has recovered from the foot injury that sidelined him against Denver on Sunday and should be able to play against Notre Dame on Saturday, Cronin said. … Cronin said the Bruins are working on a possible summer trip to Vancouver to play Canadian college teams under NCAA rules that allow teams to travel abroad in the off-season every four years. UCLA’s last summer foreign trip was to Australia in 2016.