It’s easy to pile on UCLA basketball coach Mick Cronin right now. Everyone else in this high-horse media business is doing that.
Embarrassing a player by ejecting him and snipping at a reporter are wrong, and the former Cincinnati Bearcats coach embarrassed himself and UCLA with his unhinged behavior on Tuesday night at Michigan State. Chalk it up to a bad night for the fiery Cronin, whose team got blown out. Nonetheless, Cronin's behavior and UCLA's underachieving season could land him on the hotseat.
But you know what?
I’d love to see Cronin back at the University of Cincinnati. Wouldn’t you?
Cronin’s alma mater needs him. UC is desperate to return to relevance and regain its brand identity among the best basketball schools in the land.
Come home, Mick.
Let’s say UC does what it should do and fires Wes Miller after the season. And let’s say Cronin wanted to come home and all the buyout stuff worked out at UCLA whether he’s fired or wants to leave on his own. Question is, would UC take him back?
As I wrote the other day, UC leadership is risk averse. It prefers corporate-line coaches. Most everyone else prefers winners, and Cronin fits that criteria as well as anyone UC could get.
UC has been mostly stuck in neutral since Cronin left for UCLA in 2019, the last time the Bearcats made the NCAA Tournament. He even mentioned UC in a press conference early this season, saying "I feel terrible that they haven't been to the tournament in a while."
Cronin coached UC for 13 seasons, leading the Bearcats to the NCAA Tournament nine consecutive years before he departed for UCLA. He was never fully appreciated here, partly because he was the first full-time coach after Bob Huggins was fired. Cronin made one Sweet Sixteen appearance at UC, but otherwise couldn't get out of the first weekend of the tournament. Fans held it against him.
Bet Bearcats fans would now appreciate the 54-year-old Cronin, who has a Final Four appearance at UCLA on his resume. Biggest rap on Cronin: He complains a lot and gets surly with reporters at times – neither of which are that big a deal. We'll tolerate Cronin's whining more because he's one of our own – and he wins.
It's always been a little odd seeing the West Side guy coaching in Westwood, just down the street from the Beverly Hills Hotel and Rodeo Drive. Here at home, we know Cronin has always coached with a chip on his shoulder – the same way he played at La Salle High School under his father, the great Hep Cronin.
Mick Cronin had to play that way, as a short guy in a tall-guy sport. He never played college basketball, so he had to get his start at Cincinnati's Woodward High. They don't appreciate all that about Cronin at UCLA, either, despite that 2021 Final Four appearance and two more Sweet Sixteen runs.
UC has a different athletic director than when Cronin left for UCLA. Would John Cunningham be willing to overlook Cronin's rough edges?
College basketball needs more Mick Cronins. He's his own guy in a world of yes-men – much like his college coaching mentors Bob Huggins and Rick Pitino. Great thing about Cronin is he's taken on much of the good traits of Huggins and Pitino and not had any off-the-court issues like they've had.
Cronin gives honest assessments of his players, the game and state of the game. Last month, he ripped the Big Ten's travel schedule as being unfair to UCLA and the West Coast conference members. He was criticized for complaining about it. Cronin wasn't wrong, though. He's tough on his players. But in Huggs-like fashion, Cronin also has their backs.
And did I mention, he wins?
Contact columnist Jason Williams at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Mick Cronin, Cincinnati Bearcats need each other