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UCLA Basketball: Report states that the team ‘hated’ Alford

By Mike Regalado

SAN DIEGO, CA - MARCH 23: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts in the second half against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks during the third round of the 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena on March 23, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - MARCH 23: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts in the second half against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks during the third round of the 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena on March 23, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) /
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One of the reasons UCLA basketball severed ties with Steve Alford was because the team “hated” him, per a report from NBC Sports.

Coaching, if done right, does not need a lot of effort. Unfortunately, if done wrong, it can cost you your job. That is where we are at as Steve Alford is no longer the head of the UCLA basketball program.

RELATED: What are the Next Steps For UCLA After Firing Alford?

Alford has never been known as a great coach, a great motivator, or someone that can get the best out of his players. Two seasons ago, when Alford had his best season at UCLA, the Bruins went 31-5, but that is mostly due to the individual efforts of players like Lonzo Ball and TJ Leaf, who left after one season.

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Last year, the Bruins finished 21-12 which ended with a lackluster loss to St. Bonaventure in an NCAA Tournament play-in game. At the time, there was speculation that things were rocky between then-backup point guard Jaylen Hands and Alford. This prompted Hands to test the waters of the NBA Draft but decided to return to UCLA to work on his game.

Well, it seems that those sentiments have not been forgotten as a report from Rob Dauster of NBC Sports has indicated that the team collectively “hated him”. This quote came from an unnamed source that is apparently close to the program.

This would partially explain why the Bruins currently sit at 7-6 heading into the Pac-12 portion of their schedule. For those that watched a minute of UCLA basketball this season know that there was no magic in their efforts. The team often seem uninspired and had no willingness to go that extra mile for Alford.

That all changes as Alford is now out. With the Bruins expected to make a formal announcement on the situation sometime today, which should include the naming of an interim head coach, UCLA could have a spark of rejuvenation.

Next. UCLA Basketball: The 25 Greatest Bruins of all time. dark

UCLA begins conference play on Thursday against Stanford and if there seems to be an extra hitch in the Bruins’ giddyup, we now know why.