Will UCLA head coach Mick Cronin be headed to Louisville to be the Cardinals’ new head coach?
There have been a lot of discussions about Cronin leaving Westwood and going elsewhere, and it’s quite the conversation to have.
Matthew McGavic of Louisville Report mentioned the pros for Cronin to go to the Cardinals.
Louisville is a program that desperately needs constancy and stability, and for the decade or so, that is something that Cronin’s teams have brought to the table. Over the past 14 seasons, Cronin has failed to reach the 20-win mark just twice (his first year at UCLA and current season), along with eight seasons where his teams cracked 25 wins, and three with 30-plus. While the Bruins have been underwhelming this season, his previous three seasons all saw him reach the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, including a Final Four in 2021. His squads are known for their toughness and grit on the defensive end, a style that will resonate with the Louisville fanbase. Since the 2010-11 season, a Cronin-coached team has failed to crack the top 25 in KenPom defensive efficiency just five times. Being a midwestern guy, he has a plethora of recruiting ties to the area. Also having previously worked at Louisville, he should have a solid understanding of the expectations of the job. While Cronin’s coaching is ahead of his recruiting, he has appeared to embrace the modern landscape. His ’22 and ’23 classes both cracked the top 20, and featured a combined seven four-star and three-five star prospects according to 247Sports.
There are a lot of good things for Louisville to consider about Cronin, and consistency is one of them. After the disaster that was the Kenny Payne era, they could do much worse than hiring Cronin.