UCLA Basketball: Steve Alford To Be Retained
Bruin Report Online is reporting that UCLA Basketball coach Steve Alford will be retained for next season.
It is March Madness with UCLA Basketball and it has nothing to do with playing actual basketball.
RELATED: Big Money UCLA Donors Want Change With Steve Alford
The situation with Bruin hoops and Head Coach Steve Alford might have come to a definitive decision today as Bruin Report Online has announced, per “good sources”, that Alford would be back next season.
Yesterday, BRO had reported that several big money donors were requesting change with Alford and that there would possibly be a conference call with UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero about the situation.
Many high-end donors were threatening to stop their (financial) support of UCLA Basketball if there was not a change.
UCLA Bruins
Tracey Pierson of BRO has been on top of this situation and reported the news earlier today. Part of the reason for retaining Alford, as he writes, is because “there were enough very influential donors who favored keeping Alford, and that was a substantial factor in the UCLA administration choosing to retain him.”
The response to the news, especially on social media, was mixed, though the majority seemed to favor making a change to the head coaching position.
Part of the attitude against Alford comes from the feeling that there is a lack of development with the players, Alford does not teach defense, he shows favoritism to his son Bryce Alford and is topped off by the fact that UCLA had one of its worst seasons since 2003.
This year, the UCLA Basketball team finished 15-17, 6-12, will miss the NCAA Tournament after going to two straight Sweet Sixteens and ended the season with an embarrassing 95-71 loss in the Pac-12 Tournament to crosstown rival USC (it was the third time the Bruins lost to the Trojans by double-digits this season).
Next: UCLA Basketball Has No Identity
Thoguh the subject of firing Alford is not expected to go away anytime soon, for now it seems UCLA Basketball will be led by Steve Alford for at least one more year.