Mick Cronin: At The Helm of UCLA Men’s Basketball

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.”

all right here we go this is the uh
front row podcast with coach Mark
godfried and uh I have said every time
I’m having an absolute ball and today
I’m fired up because I’ve got a good
friend who’s also a really good
basketball coach and our P have crossed
throughout our careers so many different
times and different ways but today my
guest is Mick Cronin the head basketball
coach at uccla and uh Mick thank you for
uh joining us for a little podcast time
today this will be fun
it’s good to be here my friend I wish we
were playing golf but uh you know I’m
locked in the film room right now
watching transfer portal
guys as you know it’s the there’s no
shortage of them right now well you wish
we’d be playing golf cuz I think uh we
were in puta Maita one time in Mexico
and I think you took all my money I I
left broke so uh you you you got my all
my cash that day so we we we got that
was whatever our last Adidas golf trip I
think was our last that was a good fun
time well let’s start with this Mick
because um you know I think people that
will watch and will listen will I mean
obviously they know you as the coach at
UCLA they can go back to your times at
Cincinnati but I want to go back a
little farther first and I want to give
everybody a little bit of an
idea uh kind of how you got into
coaching I think your dad was a coach uh
you’re a Cincinnati native but tell us a
little bit about that and and kind of
how you decided to to jump into uh this
nutty business of coaching
basketball well you know that’s what
similar with you you know when your
father is in the business right um you
know my dad was a longtime High School
coach in Cincinnati so uh and I grew up
in the gym uh you know you remember
those days where if you want to spend
time with your dad you went to work with
[Laughter]
him so that that’s what it was for me um
and it was interesting you know my
brother uh because my dad was also he
the season ended and he was a scouting
uh National scouting uh cros checker for
the Atlanta Braves so you know I’m
talking Venezuela Puerto Rico to
California you know so I didn’t he he
would be gone for months but my brother
was also a very good baseball player
player um so I could Scout baseball I
can tell you a lot about baseball but I
hated
playing um I grew up in the gym and I
just love
basketball uh you know I I want
obviously uh I haven’t grown since the
seventh grade so that was a
problem you know I I you know so but
I’ve just always been a basketball
Junkie um being a product of that
environment and just fell in love with
the game as a young kid
and you know it was I knew I couldn’t
live without the game so you know when
when I destroyed my knee and my small
college career looked like it was going
to be uh extremely painful with no
cartilage and no ligaments I started
coaching Mark when I was
19 so um I drove to Woodward High School
after class at the University of
Cincinnati every day um or or in the
spring in fall it was you know driving
over to run open gym and to give kids a
ride home so um you know I went straight
from the straight from chasing my dream
as a player to jumping in as a coach and
um you know I just couldn’t get out of
the gym I it’s just my whole life is
I’ve never been a part of uh of a
basketball team I’ve never not been a
part of a team right interesting and
here’s a question or uh you know I want
you to talk about this with me CU When I
was with Jim herck and we were at UCLA
together and Jim had nine years as a
high school coach started off as the JV
coach at Morningside High School then he
became the head coach at Morningside but
he was there nine years before he got a
break and got into college but he would
tell me all the time that that’s where
he really kind of learned how to coach
you know he you know the all the eyes
weren’t on him you know no one’s
critiquing every decision you’re making
you’re you’re able to make decisions and
and uh you know learn from your mistakes
and the things you’re doing well would
you say for you mix some of that for you
during those times it I know you got a
taste of it but then did you did you
feel like that was a great learning
ground for
you absolutely um you know I see guys
that uh maybe
played um got into coaching never called
a timeout then they get a head coaching
job and I feel for him because I know
it’s not easy you know I don’t care what
level it is like coach Eric was saying
to you about Morningside you know um I
got to coach my own team as a freshman
coach when I was
19 um you know you you you know you’re
in it’s just you and 12 kids looking at
you like what we gonna do coach every
day you know how we G you know how do we
get better how do we win um you know
then I was JV coach for three or four
years um you know before I got a chance
to go with Coach
Huggins and I and you know we both were
the head people don’t know out there
were both a head coach at probably the
best place to be a head coach in your
first job no question at mer you know um
but again you know we don’t have the
bright lights of ESPN on you all the
time right you know you maybe say
something dumb in the media nobody
knows you know um you don’t have a
newspaper covering you like crazy um you
just don’t have not just the games right
just dealing everything takes to be a
head coach so for you and I that was
just you know aside from what a great
place you know with the support is
unbelievable it’s just um the best job
really you and I know it’s the it’s the
best first job a guy could have but the
no Bright Lights you know so yeah you
get to coach some games um at different
levels before you you know for you know
you and I before you become the coach at
Alabama or Cincinnati right it’s
interesting too you brought that up at
Murray because uh Murray State even
though the tradition it’s a it’s a lower
level but they have great tradition and
they love basketball there I mean you
got more support of Mer State maybe is
good as anywhere for for their level but
uh it’s like you you made a great Point
Mick because it’s not just coaching the
games and you know your Zone your man
what are you going to run offensively
you’re out of bounds all those type
things but it’s hiring a staff it’s how
you’re going to go recruit you got to
learn how to speak to everybody and you
know in the in your booster groups and
just people in the community it’s an
opportunity to learn when you’re not
being critiqued you know you’re not
dissected like a frog which you are at
as you get you know higher up to the
ladder you know they’re critiquing every
single thing you do how you walk and
talk and this and that and Murray for me
was that way and and I’m sure for you uh
that same thing even though you around
great coaches Bobby Huggins and Rick
patino and some other great ones what a
great opportunity for both of us and at
a place where
you have a real good chance to win too
you know a lot of places you don’t have
a great chance there you got a good
chance you know you got to kind of
halfway screw it up not to win but you
did such a great job there but I’m sure
that was a great opportunity for you to
continue to learn and build and become
kind of who you
are yeah you know and you go back and
it’s like oh man did I really say that
yeah you know some of the things you
know some of the it was different times
right there wasn’t a camera on you all
the time wasn’t a camera phone on you
all the time you know maybe when you’re
walking off that court at Morehead State
and you got that guy screaming at you
you and I might back then might have
said something back at
him yeah but just so many things you you
know it’s um having called timeouts and
what we mean by that isn’t just calling
a timeout when to call a time it’s
having run your program and be a head
coach right um the
experience with the lights where you can
make make some mistakes and learn from
them right so when you you you know even
early on at Cincinnati you know I got
better in all areas you know not just
coaching um staff uh how to deal with
people on campus um you know deal with
disappointment admissions I mean you and
I’ve been through all that stuff so you
get better as time goes on with
that uh and as you know nowadays time
management yeah um especially like in
you know in the job I have now uh I mean
I could spend there’s not I could work
24 hours a day if I wanted to and you
got to make sure you’re focusing on the
things that are going to affect the
success of your program right you got to
prioritize them right uh because you
know with the transfer portal raising
money for nil uh retention of
players that takes up enough of your
time before you even get to like Player
Development and coaching which is what
we love to do you know that’s before you
put your sneakers on every day right
you’re dealing with all that other stuff
so um you know it’s just a different
animal now I got to learn you know this
off season I’m got to get my team
together but then I gotta spend all
summer watching Big 10 games right how
about that you know because going into
new conf it’s a whole new world let me
let me ask you this one let’s talk about
this for a minute because I can remember
when I was at Murray and we were both
head coaches there but you know I had to
make a coaching change you it was a
younger guy not one of my key guys but
it was hard for me it was really really
hard because you’re dealing with people
and you’re dealing with someone’s life
and but you’re also you got to do what
you think is best for the program and
when you do that at a school like UCLA
or Cincinnati or Alabama or NC State you
know the the criticisms and the opinions
everybody has an opinion but I was able
to learn and that that’s I think you
make a great Point Mick there’s so much
more that’s involved in the program than
most people even realize like when I
when I coached the the day of our last
game it was about two weeks where I was
miserable every day CU I didn’t know who
was going to stay and leave and you’re
trying to re-recruit your players and
that was before the portal that that was
way before the portal and now I can’t
even imagine for you guys you know that
last game ends whenever that is and boom
right away it’s you know a lot of
players it’s a mass Exodus for the
portal they just want to get
re-recruited they they want somebody
else to tell them how great they are and
that they’re wanted and you know coach
Cronin or coach Godfrey didn’t give you
the ball enough you should have shot
more you blah blah blah blah blah all
that stuff so I’m sure you deal with
that every day now even probably more
than you did five years or 10 years ago
I’m sure you’re dealing with it all the
everybody does it’s so different coach I
mean you know um I went through
a long portion let’s say my 13 years at
Cincinnati I might have had the the only
guys that
left um were probably guys that um were
asked to leave for maybe academic or
disciplinary reasons I just didn’t I
didn’t want to throw him under the bus
so we just didn’t you know just let him
transfer right and I’m going to say in
13 years you’re talking about four or
five guys right right and you know never
never a guy that played right not one
right and okay my first five years here
at
UCLA you
know not not one guy that was you know
that played um but now it’s a different
world right you know you can transfer
right now with the injunction it in the
one time transfer everybody can you can
go you can do it twice you know till
they get that work out but um it’s just
hard to describe to people out there
like where we’re at you know how do you
build a program you don’t know you know
the old days and when I say the old days
up until a few years ago you know you’re
trying to hey this guy’s going to be a
Mainstay he’s gonna play a little as a
young guy but he’s gonna be my captain
of the team as a junior and a senior and
like how do you even know a guy’s going
to stay in your program like to your
point I mean if he don’t play a lot as a
freshman you know and at UCLA if he does
play a lot as a freshman he probably
going
right you know if he doesn’t he’s
probably transferring so it’s just um
you know and and look nobody feels I
don’t expect anybody to feel sorry for
me no I’m the coach of UCLA I make a lot
of money I you know so I’m up I’m up
let’s go we’re gonna figure it out it is
what it is um but it literally imagine
if the the Lakers or the
Clippers everybody was on a one-year
contract mhm I mean that’s how it is I
mean your whole team is on a one-year
contract I’ve said that so I think
people just assume like okay you guys
were young and you know we can add some
older guys and we’ll be great well
you’re assuming all the young guys are
coming back right right you know um and
in the era of who gets what in nil I
mean just there are no guarantees and
that’s what we’re all coaches right now
are working through like you talk about
the season ends and you need a you need
a rest like you know until my team is
set for next year there is no rest no no
there isn’t and here’s what happens it’s
interesting too Mick you know years ago
probably when you were younger and I was
younger you look at UCLA and North
Carolina and Duke and IND Indiana and
Kentucky though you know those kind of
what we would call the traditional you
know the the more traditional schools
nobody left those no one left you know
Roy Williams at North Carolina I think
can tell the big kid left and went to
Auburn like that had to just you know
you you scratch your head at night now
now we’re in an era where you know the
money is so big in the NBA kids and
their parents and their friends and
their all their people think they’re all
going to the NBA and they’re all going
to make 50 million a year and the the
what what we would be familiar with the
you know being recruited by UCLA and
being a scholarship player at UCLA you
know it still is important and I’m not
saying it’s not and it’s special and you
and I work there like you know for a
long time but kids don’t value that as
much as they maybe did 20 years ago
would you agree with that like would you
agree with the North Carolina it’s
different now just because kids are
different and they’re chasing something
so different than they did years and
years
ago I think that to be honest with you
for me um for Rod Palmer on my staff who
played here um it it it’s it’s the
hardest part of dealing with this MH
because you got to check your feelings
at the door
because you know for me I I’m the coach
of UCLA like you know are you kidding me
right I mean you knew me when I got into
the
business you know it’s like you know you
remember me as a young guy you know and
you’re coaching Alabama and I’m hugs
assistant looking down at you trying to
steal your calls you know
so I don’t forget that so like for me
yeah it’s an unbelievable
privilege so it’s really hard for me to
to get to a a point where you know all
my like like yeah I feel like any kid I
call to recruit should be like wow UCLA
not mck prony it’s just UCLA’s calling
me right you know or I get to go to
school at UCLA like nobody can get into
school here 170,000 people applied this
year wow
you know 170,000 people just just to go
to school here aside from to play in
paully pilion you know in the shadows of
11 title banners and 19 final fours and
Kareem and every Walton’s Jersey and
every you know Reggie Miller I mean you
kidding me so but you can’t get jaded
it’s a different era it is um you know
and some kids look In fairness some kids
do appreciate it oh yeah um yeah but In
fairness to them it’s just a different
era MH um it’s the era of uh instant
gratification in
nil um I do feel that it’s not all
positive I’m not against it um um my
biggest concern with the whole thing is
how many guys are not going to graduate
because of losing credits you know who
in the transfer portal is really worried
about there everything in to transfer
coach so I can get my degree of the
1,800 kids that transferred last
yearh how many of those guys are gonna
were negatively effective and it could
cost them to not get their degree right
because how many people are we really
you know even with nil these guy
everybody’s going to need a job at some
point you’re not going to make enough
money you know so it’s not all there’s
negative effects I think the biggest
piece is if it affects fects graduation
R right you know but you can’t I can’t
hold on to you know what you and I would
think oh my you know every kid should be
you know got a chance to UCLA’s calling
you know right uh it’s just a different
world a different era um and it’s just
it’s not going back right it’s not going
to change you know you know Mick you
made a great point and I I have said
this many times I said can we imagine
Pro Sports pro baseball the Dodgers the
Lakers the Rams or anybody out there if
every player was on a one-year
contract um not only is it do they on a
one-year
contract that nobody truly really knows
what you’re making either I mean we kind
of do and you guys do that are coaching
but nobody else really knows and if I’m
a student athlete if I’m a player right
now there’s nothing stopping me from
fudging on that little bit and saying oh
hey other school offered me
$500,000 and you know it’s it’s it’s
hard so if Pro Sport
first of all no no Pro Sports
organization would ever allow that
that’s that’s end of story that that
would never happen and it’s been thrust
on to all of us and you guys that are
coaching right now and you’re supposed
to navigate this thing um and then a lot
of people be included uh would get
really frustrated with the with nil
being there and the expectation that
every player thinks they deserve some
money of some sort but then you add the
portal at the exact same same time and
I’ve had other coaches Mick tell me
Point Blank guys walk in the office and
say coach if I can’t get a half a
million dollars I’m in the portal it’s
just that simple and that’s really not
what you and I ever signed up for way
long time ago that that wasn’t part of
the gig like that and so you you’ve
handled it really well and you have to
kind of shift with the times even though
it can be like uh what what are we doing
here this is just a different deal like
I’m like you I’m glad guys can get money
the guys that really deserve some
I understand Bryce young at Alabama the
quarterback he’s on a Dr Pepper
commercial I get that I get that I mean
hell he’s a big- Time name and but U you
know you got the fourth string defensive
uh back uh expecting you know a half a
million dollars to places it’s it’s a
little bit out of control so you guys
have have to you’re dealing with stuff
that some of the guys today aren’t they
don’t have to deal with yeah I
mean everything you said is right um but
I think you know I’ve always looked at
it this way Mark like and this is for
players too like I think you know mental
state is
everything and you’re never gonna play
well I tell my guys this you’re not
gonna play well if you’re not in the
right frame of mind and even if you when
you leave playing under me like you’re
not always going to agree with your
coach whether you’re playing
professional in the NBA the G League
Europe you know they’re there it’s
really all business business right there
is no like put your arm around you know
heart and heart talks you know with kids
that you care about like it’s just
business so um you have to like you you
gotta if you’re I’m just like my my
advice with guys so I’m trying to take
my own advice mental state is everything
so if I’m G to keep coaching in these
times I’m not going to complain about it
I’m just going to embrace it and try to
figure it out um and try you got to
evolve with it um and try to have some
fun with it like it it you know now sure
uh in the perfect world we would all say
yeah but coach you know this should be
more organized like you said there
should be some transparency maybe the
school should be paying the
kids I agree with all that but where
we’re at right now is where we’re at yep
and um you know I just feel like you
know you only live once and I don’t
never want to hang around people that
all they do are the complainer I don’t
have them on my staff yeah I don’t want
to hang out with them I definitely don’t
want to play four hours of golf with
them you know we want to laugh you know
if we get a chance to get out there
we’re trying to laugh a little bit oh
you know but I just think it’s just it’s
so easy it’s look they call it’s lwh
hanging fruit to complaining right
now you know so my thing is you know go
the other way and it and just say okay
how do I figure this out how do I
embrace where we’re at right now and do
the best job that we can with it yep
because you know I’ve had challenges
here um with building the nil out and
getting you know but I’m plowing through
it and we’re making progress because I
want to be here so um I just think you
know the worst thing you can do like
I’ve told some coaches friends of mine
like you know don’t complain about
the worst thing you can do because then
you like you come off like you don’t
want the players to get any money you
want to keep all the money and you’re
you know you’re G to end up yeah being
clickbait and somebody’s gonna put that
in the media and you’re gonna look back
right and you there’s no yeah and it’s
not going to help you it won’t help you
anyway it’s not going to help anyway let
me let me ask you this question because
this is something kind of from a
distance I’ve always kind of admired
about you as a coach and I think that
this is a what I’m getting ready to ask
you were talk to you about I think it’s
kind of a Dying Breed a little bit in
that when I watch your teams and I watch
you with your players I watch your
postgame press conferences and and
people also have to realize you know
what we say to the media in the postgame
isn’t always what we’ve said in the
locker room it’s a whole different
there’s a whole different talk that that
when I get on that Podium than there
sometimes in my locker room
but I think Mick you you do a great job
of bracing the fact that you want to be
honest with your guys okay and I think
that in today’s day especially with
young kids today young people today and
this is just my opinion uh you know I
hate kind of saying in general we’re
raising up a generation of soft young
people but we kind of are and I I don’t
like saying it but it’s kind of halfway
true compared to maybe what we grew up
in but you are still one of those guys
that say I’m G to I might ruffle your
feathers and you’re not going to like
what I’m going to tell you but I’m going
to stick to my guns and I’m going to be
honest with you and I’ve respected that
about you app sometimes that sometimes
that creates a rift because a lot of
kids don’t want to hear it they don’t
want to hear the truth they just want
you to Pat them on the back tell them
how great they are and here’s my plan
for you to become a pro you know and
make a lot of money so maybe where did
that come from with you and kind of you
know because I think that’s part of your
core I really I think that’s part of who
you are and I I I hold on to that dearly
um and that definitely comes from my
father um as a coach and um there was a
game Mark I was in seventh
grade and I’m about the you know
literally the same height as I am now I
hit a buzzer shot that win a game we win
like 53 to
52 and let’s say I had
48 and I I I think I signed an autograph
after it
game and we got in the car and we’re
driving home and you know my dad ain’t
saying a word now he’s a you know he’s
one of the most respected High School
coaches in Cincinnati for you know the
last 50 years and I’m waiting on him F
he won’t say anything so I said I didn’t
what you think about the game
dad he said uh put your leg up on the
dashboard so and pull your sweat suit up
so I put my right leg up I pulled my
sweatpants back to my knee he said you
see how hairy your legs are I said yeah
he said you ain’t never going to grow
another inch you better get the short
stop I just now I just had like I’m
telling you it might have been 50 out of
55 I mean I’m thinking is this guy’s
nuts like I’m going you know I’m getting
recruited at the high level I’m the man
and he just told me he said get the he
said I I’ve been trying to tell you you
know you’re you you better get the
shortstop and I hate face I’m like you
know I’m looking like this guy’s crazy
you know I went home and probably went
outside and shot for three hours you
know I’m GNA show this but he told me
the truth
Mark he told me the truth you know you
you you’re short as a great athlete you
better get your butt to short
St um you know but he loved me enough I
bet he a funny story for you know for
everybody listening but it’s true and he
was dead serious and uh you know he
loved me enough to tell me the truth so
that’s how I look at it you know I like
I I don’t think we’re not helping young
people by telling them life is Peaches
and Cream nope you know it’s not I mean
look you you know you you and I known
each other a long time there’s ups and
dead we both you knowy we both love our
children and we both been through
divorce yep yep you know life is in
peaches and cream so like to
me you’re actually doing the guy
disservice without a doubt by not
telling him the truth even if it don’t
taste so good at the time it don’t the
truth don’t always taste good but you’re
not doing you’re not doing the right
thing by young people if you don’t tell
them the truth and they got to learn to
deal with that because it’s coming right
they’re gonna get a job like Mark like
you know the funny thing is well you
give your best effort well in the real
world you you you you don’t give your
best effort you got to win you got to be
you know whe whether you’re a Salesman
you know whether you’re an executive
your department you know if you’re not
getting the job done it don’t they don’t
say well you get to keep your job
because you’re giving your best effort
right you know with young people hey you
got to give your best effort no no you
got to be you got to get the job done
that’s what’s coming yeah yeah period I
mean so um I spell love and disciplin
the same way and you know I guess some
you know sometimes people think you know
this dude comes off as
harsh I mean I I just think you know I
no I I actually come come off as you got
to me you if you don’t like if you don’t
discipline your kids you don’t love them
you know it’s easy to just sit there and
clap and say nice job Johnny right you
know um you know it it’s hard to coach
everything they do and make sure they’re
getting better and you know you don’t
always to have to discipline a guy you
know yep uh you got to care about him
enough to do the right thing which isn’t
always hard like you said you know you
go to replace an employee I mean first
time I had to do that I mean I literally
was sick over it oh oh terrible yeah so
hey it’s easy to you know people say oh
he’s Mr positive he’s standing there
clapping okay well you know when that
kid needs discipline and he’s not doing
what he needs to do in the classroom are
you just using
him that’s right you I mean you you know
are you doing right by him and giving
him what he needs yep you know that’s
how I look at it you know Mick I I have
five children and two of my children
play division one sports and uh I I even
in high school though for their High
School coaches I would tell the coaches
and and even in
college uh work them as hard as you can
one and number two all I ask for from
you as a coach as you be honest with my
child that’s it that that’s all ju just
don’t lie to my son or my daughter and I
don’t care how hard and how bad
sometimes the truth might be and now I
coach so I’m I’m coming from a coach’s
mindset but still just don’t lie to my
child that’s all and the rest is up to
him you if he can’t make it it’s up to
him but your job as a coach is to work
him hard teaching
and be honest with him and that’s one
thing like I said I I I’ve always with
you and and I tell you what what’s
interesting for me because I and here’s
why I really kind of admire that about
you Mick is
that we’re in a world especially with
the portal now and with this nil you
know years and years ago guys didn’t
transfer very much like you mentioned
there was 1,800 kids transferred in
college basketball last year there’s
only 300 teams our 340 or whatever that
number is and so for 1,800 think about
that that’s a lot of kids that are that
are changing
schools for more this it will be it’ll
be more this year but I think for you I
think that you know just as an outside
I’m on the outside looking in I think
that’s the right way to go Meck and I I
tried my best to be that way as a coach
guys didn’t like it at times uh you know
they’d cry and go home and call Mom and
Dad and Coach told me this and Coach you
know whatever and hey you know I
remember having a kid on my team and his
mom called me and she couldn’t
understand why he’s in the starting
lineup and it was real simple to me play
better play more how about that one and
she said well and I said hold on now I
don’t think you heard what I just said
tell your son to play better he’ll play
more I mean this isn’t real tricky at
this level I mean you but you’ve been
able to kind of hold on to that through
an in an era where uh you know kids soon
as they don’t hear they want to go they
want to find somebody else that has a
softer Voice or they’re going to be
kinder you know all that kind of stuff
and so you’ve been able to do that well
I I it’s funny because I tell them you
know now that there’s a you know I’m
meeting with players now and I’ll just
share with you you know you know some of
my guys just got to play better play
more they I mean literally just got that
speech this morning yeah we just came
off
and I add to it just so you know no
matter what any coach tells you they’re
going to say the same thing period I
don’t care what they tell you you know
it’s funny in recruiting I heard this
one time Mar you know you’re recruiting
and the guy says um you know my old
assistant Larry Davis we both go way
back
with kid told Larry Davis hey you know I
went on this visit and Coach told me
they were going to put the ball in my
hands and I was going to be the
guy and uh so the kid came to our visit
and I said um let me ask you a
question when the guy when the coach
said that to you did he did he make sure
he had a team meeting and say it in
front of the rest of the
guys because if he said that to you he
told the he told all those guys the same
thing and he recruited them just so you
know and that’s probably why half team
is you know he’s had 10 transfers in the
last five years right you know or you
want somebody to tell you the truth you
know like come on man you know here’s
what I see for you here’s you know my
what I see in your skill level yeah this
is what we need but you you know you you
don’t play well nobody’s playing you
know y um you know yeah was a funny one
you know just yeah tell tell him to make
sure he tells the rest of the team by
the way that you’re you’re gonna have
the ball in your hands when you get
there and it you know they’re all going
to have to deal with that right you know
you know did he give that speech in the
locker room in the team meeting you know
but like you said you know some people
want to hear those things and it may not
be to you know to my advantage to be
honest all the time but I I just think I
call it front end recruiting Mark and I
just think you’re going to get
further um with guys that are like hey
coach I get it I’m mature enough to know
coaches are playing to
win and uh you know I want to get better
you got a track record of making players
better and you know there’s two kind of
guys buddy you know this we’ve coasted
okay it’s going to be way harder than
you thought as a
freshman you’re either going to it’s and
that’s a fact adversity is coming you’re
either gonna quit and go home and
transfer or you’re G to fight through it
you’re going to get better and play more
to your your line you’re gonna get
better and play more that’s it you know
um so or you’re gonna you know you’re
gonna blame your teammates coaches
whatever whatever and you know you’re G
you’re going to move on and it’s just um
I’m and I’m okay with that it’s okay you
know I think everything happens for a
reason
um you
know I think you know one thing I get
marked is like people say you get guys
to play defense I was like well you
really like I mean how do you how do you
win if you don’t defend like I’d like to
show me a team that doesn’t defend and
wins can’t you know so like if the kid
is competitive and he wants to win you
really aren’t gon to have to beg him to
play defense no no you know like did I
you think I ever had to tell haime hakz
to play
hard all I had to do was like coaching
and give him technique I never had to
say play hard one time to Hae hackas
right so maybe that’s why he is where he
is right right Mick go back with me
because uh you know early in your
coaching career you you was were an
assistant coach and I learned a great
deal from Jim Herrick so I was with Jim
for seven years at UCLA
and uh you know there were things with
Jim that might I may not have agreed
with or I thought H you know but then
there are also some really good things
you know and that’s the way I’m sure
your assistants at UCLA all the guys
that work for me they would say maybe I
didn’t I didn’t like this but boy he was
really good at that you know and to have
success you got to be good at something
and um and you were with a couple guys
that you know obviously when we talk
about coaches and wins and all-time
wins uh you know Bobby Huggins it
Cincinnati and Rick patino at Louisville
and kind of go you know maybe with with
Bobby and then with Rick maybe one or
two things that if you said man I this
is boy I pulled this from that guy he
was really good at that or you know what
what was it uh about those two guys or
what did you kind of try to pull uh and
you said man I
that’s I like that and boy he taught me
or I learned or that type of thing
well it’s funny to you know to address
the first thing you mentioned is funny
because like you know remember when you
were an assistant you’re thinking I
don’t know about that you know why does
he do this then you become a head coach
and that now said man now I do know why
he was doing that you know you had that
moment like now okay you know I thought
I had all the answers now I know you
know now I do know I get it but you know
the funny thing like obviously you know
one guy from New York City and one guys
from Gad the Hutton Ohio right uh you
know so one guy’s
drinking the best wine on the menu and
the other guy’s drinking the cheapest
beer he can
find um but they’re both in the Hall of
Fame and the the the I mean I’m telling
you the competitive beyond belief right
you know like if you like I could if you
say well who was the more competitive
guy like who hated losing
more I couldn’t give you that answer
like like
those losing was
unacceptable so if we got to work 247
we’re going to work
247 um and that’s what I gained you know
like these two guys it was immediately
you know I left coach Huggins and went
with Coach
patino it was it was like you know he’s
the same you know coach Huggins like
nothing is acceptable but winning MH
okay so however we got to you know how
we got to recruit harder we got to work
harder we got to watch more film we got
to practice better whatever it took and
you know that’s what I derive from both
of those guys like you know you can
never accept
defeat uh in any way shape or form and
uh it just it to your core like it’s
just NE you know like those guys and
coach hogins wants a job right now and
he’s gonna be 70 in a couple months Co
patino’s back and he’s 71 like they
can’t get enough of it like you know
like I’m thinking what are these guys
doing you know like I mean especially in
like you you know we’ve talked about
this era is a whole new era of you know
where it’s harder to be a
coach um but they can’t you know it’s
just who they are just unbelievable
competitors you know coach Huggins I’ll
just give you like Tech tactical things
that help me mhm you know a lot
obviously but I don’t know how many
people teach
rebounding the way the way Bob Huggins
teaches rebounding and I’m not just
saying go I’m talking about technique of
how to offensive rebound positioning of
uh your players on the weak side the
teaching of beating a
blockout um how to rebound from the
perimeter uh to make sure you don’t go
towards the Baseline side of your
man um wedging spinning and doing it on
a daily basis to where it’s a core
tenant of your
program obviously if you watch Houston
play you know that coach Samson doesn’t
um and I know it was special because
when I went with Coach
patino and uh I was you know he said
what do you want to do and you know he
he and I asked Kevin Willard was like
well I’m comfortable with the guards I
was like that’s all right I’ve been
working with the big guys at Cincinnati
so as I started teaching the guys these
techniques at Louisville he hadn’t seen
it catino was like you know he was like
it’s really clear he’s like I’m GNA
focus on offense because you can really
you know you’ve been so trained on
defense and rebounding by such a great
coach and Bob
Huggins um that that you know there’s
just he’s as good as there’s been in
modern basketball in those areas is um
you know Co patino look running I mean
look running how to run a program and
deal with your boosters your donors your
University the media um you know he he
could be a CEO of a for and 500 company
so that was really valuable for me but
the spacing offensively the stuff that
he brought from the
NBA um was stuff that I really needed to
learn um and it was new you know it was
it took me to another level and so I
would like look you know I mean to work
for those two guys is like I mean who’s
had who’s worked as an assistant in
college basketball at the two spots
you’ve worked are two Hall of Famers and
are two of the best coaches in modern
basketball so obviously I’m very
fortunate right you know when I was my
last year playing at Alabama we get to
the Sweet 16 and we had a really good
team we were at two seed and played
Providence and Rick patino was probably
30 young 30s maybe mid-30s I can’t
remember but in Billy Donan and Del Ray
Brooks at that crop that went to the
final four and they beat us in
Louisville at the old Freedom Hall but
that 80 1987 was the first year of the
three-point line and Rick patino
obviously had been you know around the
NBA and that nor that New York kind of
area and they they were ahead of the
game with the three-point line they
utilize the penetrating pitch and
spacing and and uh and he had recruited
some good Shooters but um he was at that
time I think he was just ahead and I
played for a phenomenal amazing coach
and wimp Sanderson who was a pounded
inside you know we’re going to throw the
ball of the post every trip down the
floor and here we get in a sweet 16 and
you’re playing against a team that’s
running and penetrating finding guys and
they’re dribbling and guys are floating
to the opposite corners and they’re
throwing the hammer pass and they’re
making threes and and you know it was
like an avalanche hit us you know but uh
I’ve always told Rick that you know he
was just ahead in my view in that regard
in that part of the game and then I
think he’s always kind of been able to
utilize that maybe throughout the years
but just kind of an Innovative kind of
guy I’ve always felt
like very and then you know I’ll give
you one that he did that you know and
look you got to be a head coach at like
a place like a Kentucky or a
Louisville where you know when you
played people don’t remember this now
you know it was the era men the men’s
team got 15 scholarships mhm then it
went to 13 the women still are at 15
right we went to you know what whatever
year it was probably right around when
you graduated it went to
[Music]
13 well Rick patino is won two
championships and where he played a
walk- on in the game
Tim Henderson at
Louisville um in the final four hit a
big shot against witch tall State
Cameron Mills was like in the top eight
rotation at
Kentucky um you know where he was able
to like get guy like did recruited walk
on that actually played now you got to
be at certain kind of places to do that
right um you know where a guy will maybe
pass up playing you know lower level to
be at you know at a UCLA like it’s
something I’ve tried here you know I um
you know like we have a recruited walk-
on coming next year but that was
Innovative you know obviously I you you
know coach patino’s thing of you know I
would say coach Huggins was one of the
first guys with strength
coach you know where the strength coach
was kind of down the hall that the
football team used but at Cincinnati Bob
Huggins made the strength coach popular
MH
so popular that Mickey moradi became
known as the best in the business and
has been at Ohio State for years making
a million dollars probably and his his
Fame grew and his recognition grew being
with Cincinnati’s Danny forson and those
guys yep you know under coach Huggins
yep so he you know he was ex you know
coach Huggins was ahe of the curve with
that no doubt Mick let me ask you this
one so and we’ll kind of winding up here
a little bit but uh when I was at NC
State you know as a coach obviously that
you know Jim valano and his legacy was
so powerful but you know one of his
quotes that kind of was everywhere you
looked was he always said you know don’t
mess with happy and it’s such a it’s
such a simple thing but it’s just such a
true thing especially For Us in coaching
you know sometimes you’re always looking
for that next okay that one over there
is better the Grass Is Always Greener
and and I think with him it was it
resonated like don’t mess with happy so
I want to ask you you’re you’re at
Cincinnati you’ve had a great run there
you’re from Cincinnati family from
Cincinnati you know everything that’s
where your roots are now here comes UCLA
and UCLA wants to hire you and it is
UCLA and I get it hey I was there 7
years we won a national championship and
I’m forever thankful for my time at UCLA
so I’m I love UCLA I’m I’m a brewing uh
at heart um but for you was there some
of that cuz that had to be a little hard
and I know you love UCLA and you want to
be be there for the rest of your life
but you’re you’re at a place where
Cincinnati to you was not probably I’m
I’m assuming not just any job it wasn’t
just any job for you because that’s
that’s where you’re you know you you’re
whole you’re growing up around it you
know you’re there I mean you know so
talk yeah tell tell us a little bit
about that and and and most people
probably don’t realize I’m I’m assuming
it was a little harder than people
realize
oh because it was your roots it’s your
family yeah it’s funny you know there’s
two perspectives you know like people at
UCLA is like well he came from a mid-
major you know i’ been to 13 straight
tournaments since you know um so and we
it but anyway we had beat UCLA bad two
years in a row but then that you know
just a mindset and the people in
Cincinnati it was like you want to go
live in Los Angeles you know so it was
it’s funny you know perspective but
obviously to your point you know my dad
went to Cincinnati I went to Cincinnati
my mom was raised uh on campus at
Cincinnati they literally bought the
houses on her street to make them part
of the
University um she grew up on what is now
about first base in the baseball stadium
so um literally I I grew up going
to football games basketball games you
name it um and then went to school there
uh you know then coached five years in
his assistant then coached 13 years as a
head
coach um you know why why do you why do
you leave you know um tough one uh I’ve
read Digger’s book different books coach
you
know I think there’s very few guys Coach
K uh I don’t count my man Greg campy
because it’s a little bit different that
level Coach K coach
beheim you know it’s hard to be uh it’s
hard to be
somewhere past 13 years as you know um
you know it’s just it’s this uh and you
get to a point where it’s like you know
have I maxed it out
here um and not hey you don’t know like
there’s never a right or a wrong
decision you just got to make a decision
right and
part of mine you know part of mine was
twofold it was uh a chance to be the
coach at UCLA no question and you
understand what that means without doubt
you’re in John Wood you know how many
people have sat in John wooden’s chair
so no matter what happens I always I’m
always going to get to say that no you
know um fertile recruiting you know then
you go to strategy like okay I get to
you know you know I get to be have you
know I’m at UCLA I’m immediately in the
door of kids I couldn’t get in the door
with Cincinnati MH you know so you you
you know it gives you you you’re
thinking I’m going to have a better
chance to win a
title you know just it just that I mean
it is most coach right most coaches
would have agreed with that now the
portal and things and you know that
Cincinnati’s now in the Big
12 um and the final piece of that uh for
me um was my daughter was going into
seventh grade so as you know in LA
becomes middle school and um I think it
it you know it’s it’s been a great
experience for her MH um to be in Los
Angeles like I’m going to tell you she
attended 16 concerts last year you know
she’s second lead in her musical in
Campbell Hall in Studio City and people
are in the musical that are already on
Nickelodeon you know um so it’s just
been it’s been a uh a great experience
for her from a uh you know at time now
my stepson’s with me now my girlfriend’s
been with me a long time so for him it’s
been a great experience for young people
to grow you know that
um you know life’s you know your dad’s a
coach at Cincinnati nothing’s wrong with
it but so those were the main factors
for me um can you can you wear out your
welcome
somewhere I maybe got a better chance to
win the title at
UCLA and hey I get to sit in John
wooden’s chair without a doubt without a
doubt M last one here let’s just do this
one real quick but
uh the Big 10 all right here we come
here comes the Bruins and the Trojans
and we’re going to not to mention SC or
uh Stanford and Cal going to the ACC But
Here We Come the Bruins and and the
Trojans and
uh how does that for you change the job
because there’s obviously a lot of
travel I mean there is there you can
slice and dice that one any way you look
at it but but you’re going you’re going
to log some hours on some
flights but in your mind from your seat
what does that do um to the job to the
UCLA
job I think any coach would agree it it
becomes
harder you know I don’t know people like
like people that know Big 10
Basketball now now all your road games
are sold
out I mean you said well Ruckers yes go
ahead see look at Ruckers home winning
percentage the last three years MH you
know and I mean go ahead look at Purdue
at ruter the last two
years um you know just to pick one out
you know you think it’s not sold out at
Michigan State and Illinois and Indiana
I mean you know these places um you know
the Big 10 is so successful in this era
of the Big 10
Network because you got the state
schools with massive followings that are
going to sell out games that also are
watching that Big 10 Network that have
made it such a monster which is why you
you know obviously people wanted to get
in it for the revenue so even aside from
the travel just the logistics
of um you know in our league the only
game you played on the road it was sold
out was Arizona in the fact
12 um and that you’re going to probably
be sold out everywhere you go mhm aside
from the fact that the logistics of the
travel like if I’m a player branding
it’s better if I’m a recruit I’m
Nationwide now we’re you know we’re from
DC to La you know you got DC and New
Jersey to La um we’re going to be
playing on the Big 10 Network and fox
and all this stuff at better times you
know we’re not going to have the West
Coast bias because the media back East
is going to know our team better because
we’re in the Big 10 so it’s better for a
player but it’s going to be harder to
win right you know I was in the Big East
as you know when it was the monster and
it was 16 teams and we had 11 teams make
the tournament out of 16 and our team
that was tied for ninth 10th and 11th at
9 and N Yukon won the National
Championship so like that’s the animal
that it’s going to be with 18
teams and my I used to say man you got
to win two out of three now back then
you only played 18 League games if you
could win two out of three and go 12 and
six you were a top 20
team and I mean it was you know that was
like because you know in the NBA you
know I mean the Nuggets I think right
now got 53 wins they might get to 60 out
that means they’re going to lose
23 um you know and they may already have
21 losses I think they’re like 53 and
21 and you know and they’re the best
team in the NBA right I mean so in a
league like that like last year we went
18 and two in the Pack 12 like those
days are old nobody’s going 18 and two
nah in in in this in this new Big 10
right right well that’s a new animal and
but I think you’ll conquer it Rick I
think you’ll figure it out and you
figured it you’ve been able to figure it
out your whole career and you know it’s
just like solving the puzzle you’ll
you’ll figure it out but uh man I wanted
to say thank you uh I know you’re busy
uh like we said at the top of the show
man this time of year people don’t
realize how busy guys like you are they
think when the season’s over you’re on
the beach in Aruba you know hanging out
with your feet up and
uh you’re in the you’re in the film room
studying
film watch guys in the portal meeting
with Team you know I mean it’s it’s just
I’m not complaining like I told you I
think my advice for anybody out there
listening is I said this you know people
if if that you’re complaining about
their job then quit yep you know we only
live once go do something that you enjoy
that’s right you know and do what Jay
right did man just go go get out yeah do
something else get out he said he want
to play golf with his buddies yep y he
wanted to go to Florida in January go
get get you know get out but I’m in it
so I’m gonna keep smiling and embracing
it yeah I’m playing pickle ball every
day so uh you can stay in the film room
I’ll be hitting the pickle ball so all
right Mick thank you man appreciate you
very much and good luck to you
it’s good to catch up man I appreciate
it coach okay Mick see you take