On Eve Of Tourney, UCLA Gives Mike Cronin New 6-Year Deal
UCLA has given head men's basketball coach Mike Cronin a new six-year contract.
The school announced the deal Thursday, which runs through the 2027-28 season. Terms were not disclosed.
Fourth-seed UCLA faces No. 13 seeded Akron in the first round of the NCAA tournament Thursday night in Portland. UCLA will try to follow up on last year's thrilling run, when it reached the Fina Four after barely making the tournament as a play-in.
The 50-year-old Cronin is in his third season at UCLA, compiling an overall record of 66-29.
He took over the reigns at UCLA in April of 2019 after spending 13 seasons as head coach of the University of Cincinnati.
Going back to his time at Cincinnati, he has taken his teams to 11 straight NCAA tournaments.
"Mick Cronin is one of the best coaches in the country, and this deal signifies our commitment to keeping him at UCLA and competing for national championships," UCLA Athletic Director Martin Jarmond said in a statement. "Mick is the right leader for our program because he knows what it means to represent the four letters, he won't settle for less than being an elite program, and he wins with integrity. He has done a tremendous job of developing young men, and his players respect him."
