🏀 KuBuckets Archive

UCLA fired Alford earlier this week after a four-game losing streak, capped by a 15-point home loss to Liberty last Saturday.

But who's next at UCLA? If it's another college coach (Jamie Dixon would be a name to watch), then there will be a domino effect. If it's someone from outside the college ranks (Fred Hoiberg comes to mind), then we could be headed for a fairly slow carousel among high-major programs.

Danny Manning, Wake Forest: There are a number of intriguing mid-major head coaches in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic who will have their eyes on this job if it opens, but Manning has a contract through 2025 and it's reportedly fully guaranteed. That's a lot of money for the Demon Deacons to shell out to move on from Manning after five seasons. He has been to only one NCAA tournament during that span, and has failed to win more than five ACC games in his other three seasons. They're likely the worst team in the league this season, too.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/insider/story/_/id/25670309/how-steve-alford-firing-impact-coaching-carousel ↗

Hope the rumors are wrong. I like Dixon at TCU and don’t want to see him at UCLA. Hoiberg at UCLA would be just fine by me.

Looks like its a good thing our boy Danny got his contract fully guaranteed thru 2025. Wake isn’t off to a great start this year and may be the worst team in the ACC. I really hoped he would do well, as much as I’d like Danny back as the big man coach, I’d rather he found success.

Hoiberg to UCLA would be both awesome and terrifying. I kind of want to see it.

Wake Forest is the hardest job in the ACC. It's the only NC school not in the Raleigh-Durham area and has the least to see to recruits. Duke and UNC are Duke and UNC and NC State has a couple of titles in their history and play in a professional arena (Carolina Hurricanes) so they have that to offer recruits.

Wake is away from all of that which means it takes a very special coach to win there because it's the toughest job in the ACC.

I kind of feel the UCLA coaching job just isn't what it used to be. The state of California seems more interested in Pro Sports teams, smoking weed and the beach. I'm not sure if I was an up and coming coach I would want that job. Sure recruiting would be somewhat easy. But the Pac whatever just isn't the powerhouse it used to be.

DoubleDD said:

I kind of feel the UCLA coaching job just isn't what it used to be. The state of California seems more interested in Pro Sports teams, smoking weed and the beach. I'm not sure if I was an up and coming coach I would want that job. Sure recruiting would be somewhat easy. But the Pac whatever just isn't the powerhouse it used to be.

This is pretty much what every analyst has said about the job since they fired Alford. Will be a fascinating search / hire for sure.

UCLA was 1263-682 (.649) entering this season excluding the Wooden years. It also took Wooden 15 years to make UCLA into UCLA.

Although their 12 year run in Wooden's final 12 years is the most dominant in major college sport history (cheating or not), that is essentially their history. They're a good program, but they're not an elite program. That three year run Howland had with Love and Westbrook on those teams was the best run UCLA has had outside of Wooden in their history, but even he couldn't sustain that.

Earl Watson, former UCLA player, longtime NBA pro, originally from Kansas City, Kansas and most recently coach of the Phoenix Suns has had his name mentioned by Lonzo Ball, as well as a few others close to the UCLA program. No idea if the program insiders want him there, but he has coaching experience, program ties and was a pro player.

Agree with @Texas-Hawk-10 about Wake Forest. It's the fourth choice for any local kid (at best), and there's no clear path to being good at Wake with UNC, Duke, and Virginia all having strong programs right now. Wake is basically Wichita State, only if WSU was in the Big XII full time, and located in Dodge City instead.

This could be a quiet year for Big 12 jobs. Nobody should be in any real danger unless there is a scandal. Every program has had at least some modest success recently. Other conferences may try to poach a Big 12 coach, but I can't see any coach outright being fired right now.

@justanotherfan I know everyone keeps ripping on Shaka, but he'll be fine until 2021 when Texas finally gets their new arena. That's when they'll care about basketball and wanting to be good.

Texas Hawk 10 said:

@justanotherfan I know everyone keeps ripping on Shaka, but he'll be fine until 2021 when Texas finally gets their new arena. That's when they'll care about basketball and wanting to be good.

Texas may very well finish top 3 in the conference this year

Anybody think Marsha might want a change since his team is really down and another guy just left?

justanotherfan said:

Texas Hawk 10 said:

@justanotherfan I know everyone keeps ripping on Shaka, but he'll be fine until 2021 when Texas finally gets their new arena. That's when they'll care about basketball and wanting to be good.

Texas may very well finish top 3 in the conference this year

Don't see it happening this year. If they do, it'll be a multi-team tie a good ways back of Kansas and Tech. I don't see them being better than 5th or 6th this year. I know they blew out KSU late, but KSU is bad this year.

@Crimsonorblue22 Could you imagine if they had actually landed in a power 5 conference? It’s pretty ugly as is. I bet the Missouri Valley Conference looks like a pretty good place to hide about now.

@dylans see what happens to them against Memphis tonight

@dylans

Their recruiting isn't yet consistent enough to handle the down years. Same thing is happening at Creighton to some degree. The programs are solid enough, but they don't have enough bench depth to sustain if they miss on a recruit or two.

@justanotherfan for some reason, 🤔 Marsha can’t hold on to players.

I doubt Dixon would want to move west, is he Alumni of TCU? Hoiberg would prob be the best available if he is interested

@kjayhawks I wonder how Fred is feeling, his health? Might want to take frans place!🤣👊