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UCLA Basketball: The next steps after the termination of Steve Alford

By Mike Regalado

KANSAS CITY, MO - NOVEMBER 20: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts from the bench during the National Collegiate Basketball Hall Of Fame Classic game against the Creighton Bluejays at the Sprint Center on November 20, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - NOVEMBER 20: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts from the bench during the National Collegiate Basketball Hall Of Fame Classic game against the Creighton Bluejays at the Sprint Center on November 20, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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With reports surfacing that Steve Alford is out as the head of the UCLA basketball program, what happens next for the Bruins?

It is being reported that the UCLA basketball team has severed tied with Steve Alford as his contract has been terminated. So what are the immediate next steps for the program?

REPORT: Steve Alford Out at UCLA

Obviously, the main goal is to find the next head coach but understand that that will take time. After botching the hire after the termination of Ben Howland, UCLA wants to (needs to) take a long, heavy look at several potential candidates.

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But what happens before that? What happens tomorrow? What happens before UCLA’s next game on Thursday, which happens to be the Pac-12 opener against Stanford?

The first order of business is naming an interim head coach. The two likely candidates are assistants Murry Bartow and Tyus Edney. Bartow joined the Bruins this past offseason, coming in to help out with the defense. He has head coaching experience at UAB and East Tennessee State. Edney has been an assistant since April 2017. He has been with the program since Howland hired him as Director of Operations back in 2010. We should find out on Monday morning who will be named interim.

Whoever gets the position then needs to work on a game plan for the Bruins. Ending the non-conference schedule with a 7-6 record is not ideal, but it is not the end of the world. The interim coach has a chance to salvage the season if they get the Bruins a conference championship, which is a possibility seeing as the conference is down this year.

But to do that, they need to work on three things: (1) player relations, (2) an offensive gameplan, and (3) defense.

If the interim can get these players motivated, they could possibly unveil some untapped cohesion. One thing that plagued the Bruns under Alford was selfishness. If the Bruins can work as a group, with all their talent, the can produce some exciting basketball.

As for the gameplan on offense and defense, the new HC has to not only come up with a few new plays, but they also need to make necessary in-game adjustments.

Lastly, the coach has to maximize their player’s abilities, one thing that Alford did not excel in. The most important thing is getting Jaylen Hands and Kris Wilkes to lead the charge. Both are expected to declare for the NBA Draft again, so this is the perfect opportunity for the sophomores to not only come together and lead this young squad, but they can also show off their full potential.

The Bruins also have to put their big men to work. There is no reason why Moses Brown, Cody Riley, and Jalen Hill should not individually (or a combination the three), should not dominate the paint. The coach also has to watch the outside shots. If the Bruins can’t knock them down from the arc, then change things up and play the midrange game.

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A miracle will not occur overnight, but Alford’s termination could rejuvenate this program enough to at least make a run for the NCAA Tournament. Anything will help as they try to trend upwards heading into the next phase of UCLA head basketball. Go Bruins.