Steve Alford to UCLA!!

[lj854]

Being reported on SportsCenter right now by Katz.

[ValiantSailor]

Over/Under at three years. Any takers?

VS

[warriorfan4life]

Over/Under at three years. Any takers?
VS

Sounds like a classic push there.

[MUMac]

So, UCLA fired a coach that had been to 3 Final 4's, just won the Pac 10 and made the Tournament, but lost in the first round. Then they hired a coach who has been to one Sweet 16 in 7 appearances, lost in the first game 4 times and just lost in the first round this year. Well done. Well done, indeed!!

[Halo]

I am stunned by this. And this is why Buzz shouldn't look at some of these schools. What an average choice for a supposed storied program.

[MUBasketball]

I am stunned by this. And this is why Buzz shouldn't look jiat some of these schools. What an average choice for a supposed storied program.
Maybe I'm in the minority, but I think Alford is an excellent coach. I think its a great hire.

[Mucrisco]

I think he's a great coach too. He always has rubbed me the wrong way though, ever since we were forced to watch Steve Alford videos at basketball camps. MUBasketball, you might get a kick out of this story. The women's team had a game at Iowa. We were having our practice at their arena, the night before. During the practice, two men's basketball players walk in and need to get to the other side of the floor. One walks around, but the other one, with his headphones on, staring at his music, crosses and half court, strolling past, taking his time, right in the middle of practice. The other guy started laughing and said,"Hey man, they're practicing!" He responded,"What man? This is my court!" I always thought that behavior reflected poorly on the coach.

Anyway, I was wrong Warriorfan4ever. Turns out, even a guy like Steve Alford would take the UCLA job over USC.

[Halo]

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I think Alford is an excellent coach. I think its a great hire.


I disagree after him doing basically nothing at Iowa while the Big Ten was down. Maybe he can do something at UCLA.

[MUBasketball]

I disagree after him doing basically nothing at Iowa while the Big Ten was down. Maybe he can do something at UCLA.

He had a successful tenure at Iowa. One season, they were a 3 seed in the Big Dance. He's from Indiana, a coach's son, played for Knight....he's a great coach. Won at Missouri State also.

[TheSultan]

He has four tournament victories in 18 years as a coach. He piles up a bunch of wins during the season, then craps the bed in the tournament...repeatedly. As a coach, he's OK. But he isn't a better coach than Howland.

[Nukem2]

He has four tournament victories in 18 years as a coach. He piles up a bunch of wins during the season, then craps the bed in the tournament...repeatedly. As a coach, he's OK. But he isn't a better coach than Howland.True. Though, he probably will relate better to the laid-back West Coast athletes....? Will that relate to NCAA success...who knows?

[Halo]

He had a successful tenure at Iowa. One season, they were a 3 seed in the Big Dance. He's from Indiana, a coach's son, played for Knight....he's a great coach. Won at Missouri State also.

Great coach? I guess our definitions of great are much different. What has he ever really done in his career to warrant this UCLA job and being great? He basically was fired at Iowa. Think about that. Maybe they should have gone after Tubby.

[MUBasketball]

Great coach? I guess our definitions of great are much different. What has he ever really done in his career to warrant this UCLA job and being great? He basically was fired at Iowa. Think about that. Maybe they should have gone after Tubby.

I consider someone who wins year after year to be an excellent coach. He's done that at 4 schools (can't remember which school but he was at a D2 or D3 school prior to Missouri State). He won how many conference titles at New Mexico? The guy is a winner. Remember, the season starts in November, not March.

[MUMac]

Yeah, the "great" moniker is a bit extreme for me. Look at his record, to me it is spotty. Look at his tournament success (or lack thereof), he has as many NIT appearances as NCAA. Mentioning his being a 3 sead, each time they flamed out.

Is he truly an upgrade from Howland? I am not buying that if that is what you are selling. UCLA pee'd down their leg on this exchange.

[IWB]

Here is UCLA's biggest problem....and Minnesota's....and Oklahoma and Arkansas and everyone else who has fired coaches in the last few years. They fire their coaches with such an elitist attitude that, "We are Big Time University, we will get whoever we want"....so they fire their coach.....then choice #1 turns them down....then choice #2 turns them down...then #3.....then #4.......then they end up worse off than they were before they fired their coach.

[MUBasketball]

Howland is an excellent coach. My debate isn't whether or not Alford is better. I'm simply saying they hired, in my estimation, a great coach.

[MUMac]

I consider someone who wins year after year to be an excellent coach. He's done that at 4 schools (can't remember which school but he was at a D2 or D3 school prior to Missouri State). He won how many conference titles at New Mexico? The guy is a winner. Remember, the season starts in November, not March.

Manchester was a DIII school. If that defines a great coach, all I can say is WOW.

Let's look at success, by your standards. He finished 4th, 2nd, 3rd and 2nd in Missouri Valley (at SW Missouri State) with 1 NIT, 1 NCAA (Sweet 16 that he parlayed into the Iowa job) and 2 non appearances sandwiched in between. At Iowa 7th, 6th, 8th, 8th, 4th, 7th, 2nd 4th with 3 NIT, 3 NCAA appearances and two non appearances. At NM he finishe 3rd, 1st, 1st, 5th, 1st and 1st with 3 NIT and 3 NCAA appearances. Now, you might say that NW is impressive, well, with 4 conference championships in 6 years and one of those being an NIT reward, that may tell you all you need to know about the conference.

All I can say is that with the results he had in season and post season, if he does that at UCLA, the job will be open again in short order. Certainly not impressive at all. Great? Really? Are you sticking with that one? WOW.

[Mucrisco]

How successful has Iowa been after Alford? He took them to three NCAA's and they haven't been back since. He has been the most successful coach at New Mexico and won 4 league titles there. I wouldn't say he's better than Howland, necessarily, but he's not a huge downgrade like it appears you guys are claiming. I was surprised they fired him in the first place. Again, I've never really liked Alford, but he's certainly proven he's a great coach. Also, I don't think he was fired from Iowa. I think he bolted for New Mexico.

[MUBasketball]

Manchester was a DIII school. If that defines a great coach, all I can say is WOW.


What a ridiculous comment. He won at Manchester. That doesn't count because its not Division 1? I don't understand your point.

[MUBasketball]

How successful has Iowa been after Alford? He took them to three NCAA's and they haven't been back since. He has been the most successful coach at New Mexico and won 4 league titles there. I wouldn't say he's better than Howland, necessarily, but he's not a huge downgrade like it appears you guys are claiming. I was surprised they fired him in the first place. Again, I've never really liked Alford, but he's certainly proven he's a great coach. Also, I don't think he was fired from Iowa. I think he bolted for New Mexico.


Amen Crisco!

[MUMac]

How successful has Iowa been after Alford? He took them to three NCAA's and they haven't been back since. He has been the most successful coach at New Mexico and won 4 league titles there. I wouldn't say he's better than Howland, necessarily, but he's not a huge downgrade like it appears you guys are claiming. I was surprised they fired him in the first place. Again, I've never really liked Alford, but he's certainly proven he's a great coach. Also, I don't think he was fired from Iowa. I think he bolted for New Mexico.

Or, how successful was Iowa before Alford? Cuts both ways. They came off a Sweet 16 when he took over. Were consistent in the NCAA, as well (prior to his arrival). It is much easier to maintain a program when you have recognition and success than it is to rebuild. Perhaps the Piere Pierce incident and Aford's horrible interference, may have hurt Iowa as much or more, no? You are correct that he left Iowa, before they could fire him.

I am not buying the greatness. That word means something, and should not just be thrown around. Frankly, you and MUBasketball are just throwing it around, IMHO.

[MUMac]

What a ridiculous comment. He won at Manchester. That doesn't count because its not Division 1? I don't understand your point.

Where did I say it does not count? Don't put words in my mouth or twists what I said. What I said is it does not define greatness - you know, the ridiculous comment you consistently make that does not make any sense either.

I guess the other facts I provided were too harsh for your indepth rebuttable. :rolleyes:

[Mucrisco]

To each their own. UCLA, one of the top 6 programs in the country, certainly think he's a great coach. Stevens is definitely the better coach, but I would call him elite. For the record, I would call JTIII a great coach, but not elite like Stevens. I think Alford and JTIII are comparable. The important thing is that UCLA didn't hire Buzz. So, that's the biggest reason why I'm not complaining.

[MUBasketball]

Where did I say it does not count? Don't put words in my mouth or twists what I said. What I said is it does not define greatness - you know, the ridiculous comment you consistently make that does not make any sense either.

I guess the other facts I provided were too harsh for your indepth rebuttable. :rolleyes:

I never said he's a great.coach because of what he did at Manchester. I said he's a great coach because he's won everywhere he has been....including Manchester.

[MUMac]

To each their own. UCLA, one of the top 6 programs in the country, certainly think he's a great coach. Stevens is definitely the better coach, but I would call him elite. For the record, I would call JTIII a great coach, but not elite like Stevens. I think Alford and JTIII are comparable. The important thing is that UCLA didn't hire Buzz. So, that's the biggest reason why I'm not complaining.

Do they? Or did they hire the best they could after their list was getting whittled down. Are they they still one of the top 6 programs? I am guessing many coaches do not share your same feelings.

As I said, the term great certainly is easy to throw around. You have not given any facts to support the term, but that is what it is. I do not believe he is great, nor do I believe he is better than Howland. He has not demonstrated greatness. He is very good, but great is an extreme.

[Mucrisco]

That Iowa program was already on a downward trend with an aging Tom Davis. They were a bubble team in 99 and they rallied for a coach that they felt was being unfairly shown the door. Actually, I have given my facts. I've shown how he overachieved the programs he was at. The word "great" however, is subjective. I don't really see what use it is to bother spending more time on this subject trying to convince people who have already made up their minds of why I think he is a great coach when I don't even like the guy and I'm happy they didn't get Buzz.

[unclejohn]

Actually, that was exactly what Iowa did when they fired Tom Davis at Iowa to hire Alford. A few years later, Drake, under Tom Davis, beat them. Alford jumped to New Mexico before he could be pushed at Iowa. No way anybody thinks that was a step up.