In Reply to: I just listened to the latest BROCast. posted by mh on July 16, 2026 at 09:08:44
I rarely agree with Tracy, but I do think Cronin's seat is getting warm. I'm basing that strictly on UCLA's history.
If you go back to Ben Howland, you have to ask why a coach who reached three Final Fours, signed the nation's No. 1 recruiting class, and won the Pac-12 would be let go. Some would point to a program that had become dysfunctional and the damaging Sports Illustrated article that portrayed a culture of rogue players. But I think the deeper reasons came down to three things: an uninspiring style of play, a growing disconnect with former players, and a fear that he could no longer recruit elite talent.
You can make a reasonable case that all three concerns have surfaced with Cronin over the last few years. To be clear, I still think there's a path forward for him. This latest recruiting win could prove to be a genuine turning point. But before landing that commitment, there were legitimate questions about recruiting misses involving players UCLA reportedly had the resources to pursue. Add in the incident at Michigan State and reports that some former players were unhappy with how he communicated with players, and the parallels to the end of the Howland era become difficult to ignore.
Looking at it another way, UCLA's biggest donors rub elbows with former players regularly. If those former players begin expressing doubts about the direction of the program, it's not hard to imagine those concerns spreading to the people who help shape the program's future. I think that's part of what happened with Howland. He did a poor job of keeping former players engaged with the program. Cronin, on the other hand, seems to have learned from that and has been much more intentional about bringing alumni into the fold. From what KJ has said, most still appear to be supportive, though there also seems to be a small contingent that isn't.
I don't think UCLA has reached the boiling point yet. But I do think it's a situation worth monitoring because sentiment can change quickly, and once it does, it can be difficult to reverse.