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UCLA Basketball: Will Steve Alford Be Fired?

By Mike Regalado

Jan 30, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford in the first half of the game against the Washington State Cougars at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 30, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford in the first half of the game against the Washington State Cougars at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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After a down year, will UCLA Basketball Head Coach Steve Alford be fired for his substandard performance?

Steve Alford is under a lot of scrutiny right now. In his third year in command of UCLA Basketball, he is at risk of having his first losing season.

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With one game remaining in the regular season, Alford has the Bruins at 15-15, 6-11, good for only 10th place in the Pac-12 Conference. This is after winning 20+ games in his previous two seasons which was highlighted by two straight trips to the Sweet Sixteen.

UCLA’s chances of making it a third straight Sweet Sixteen has taken a hit as it is pretty much guaranteed the Bruins will not make the NCAA Tournament.

The only possible way for that to happen now is if the Bruins win the Pac-12 Torunament and it does not look like that will occur seeing as they need to win four games in a row to win the championship. Currently they are 2-6 in their last eight games.

Either way, the product they have put on the court is lacking and it has put Alford on the hot seat.

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Adding fuel to the fire is the uproar from UCLA Basketball fans who have been very vocal about the need for change. A petition was started this week asking the UCLA Athletic Department to “Restore UCLA Hoops”. Essentially, it is an open letter to AD Dan Guerrero asking for the removal of Alford.

Though poor performance and fan uproar will get the attention of the Athletic Department, it does not guarantee the termination of Alford.

Though some might argue that Alford should be given an extra year to try and turn the program around, especially with a top recruiting class coming in, there is a bigger issue in play: his absurd contract.

Currently, Alford has a $10 million buyout clause, which does decrease each year, but would not begin until after his fourth season (next year). With that being said, it puts the UCLA AD in a peculiar position.

Do they wait another year in hopes that Alford changes things or should they cut their losses now (and try to find an elite coach to bring UCLA Basketball back to national prominence)?

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That all depends on how Alford and the Bruins do in their final game of the regular season against Oregon State and their performance in next week’s Pac-12 Tournament. Not that it is certain, but if Alford ends with two more losses, the AD may seriously have to consider replacing a coach who never lived up to the standards of UCLA Basketball.