UCLA Gives Head Basketball Coach Steve Alford A One-Year Extension… But Why?

In the continuing saga of the tumultuous tenure of UCLA head basketball coach Steve Alford, today the second-year coach was given a one-year extension that would keep him in Westwood until the 2020-21 season. But the question that UCLA basketball fans want to know is, why? Really, what is the point, especially for one year?

Things were awkward enough when UCLA hired Alford to a seven-year, $18 million deal that had a variety of perks which included a $850,000 signing bonus (which was previous indicated to be $200,000), a $10 million buy-out clause, 2 BMWs, a country club membership and covering the travel costs for his wife to watch UCLA away from Pauley Pavilion. That is old news, but it still irks many Bruin fans.

That confusion continues today as many are wondering why the one-year extension is was given.

First off, if Athletic Director Dan Guerrero and Alford are to meet each year per the coach’s contract, why give Alford such a long deal in the first place? Why not give him a three-year deal and evaluate every year? The point was to keep him in Westwood, trying to prevent him from going somewhere else. A week before he signed with UCLA, he had inked a large extension with his former employers at New Mexico. Interesting.

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Secondly, what is with the timing of this deal? Why do it after his first season? UCLA did well under Alford in his first year as the Bruins went 28-9, won the Pac-12 Tournament against top-ranked Arizona, made sit to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament and even brought in a Top 10 recruiting class.

He did well, but it is only his first season. This past summer, he lost two starters to graduation and had three players drafted to the NBA. One of those came with a bit of controversy as Zach LaVine, who came off the bench most of the year and seemed to disappear at the end of the season, left because he said he was not given proper time at point guard like he was told. Aside from that, UCLA lost in-coming freshman Jonah Bolden for the year to eligibility issues and will have to do without the services of Colorado State transfer Jon Octeus who was denied admission to UCLA. If there was ever a time to evaluate Alford, it would be after next season. If Alford could make a proper run with the little that he has, then it might be appropriate to extend the contract. Right now, it seems like he is being rewarded just for showing up.

Third, why do it a month before Alford’s second season as head coach is set to begin. Now maybe Guerrero had a busy summer, but one would believe that these deals would be done within a month of the end of the season, or at least the academic year. Why is the UCLA AD waiting six months to evaluate the first year of the head basketball coach? These questions may never be answered.

Stay tuned as we continue to cover the drama that is UCLA Basketball.