UCLA Players React to Coach’s Actions Days After Being Thrown Under the Bus

“I come in and I have more passion and energy and pride than everybody in [the locker room],” Mick Cronin angrily told the press after UCLA lost to Michigan. It was a 94-75 loss and Cronin did not feel good about the 19 point-gap and the crucial offensive rebounds missed. The point was that Michigan didn’t need to have that many rebounds because they didn’t miss their shots in the first place. Days after that game, the Bruins had a funny reaction to more of Cronin’s antics.

Losing to Maryland just after Michigan was not good for the already flared-up Cronin. To add to that, he was ejected late into the second half of what turned out to be UCLA’s third loss in the last four games. With his patience wearing thin, the head coach was essentially all over the place as he went around screaming on the sidelines.

And a clip from College Basketball Report shows the players on the bench behind him reacting to his antics. While some avoid looking at him directly, some seem to be holding back laughter as the coach seems to scream an emphatic no with his hands as much as the ‘O’ of his mouth. “Mick Cronin’s bench smirking at him losing his mind 😭” reads the caption. And this comes just days after he blasted his entire locker room.

“We’re too soft to play hard enough,” Cronin said after the Michigan game. “I have to run on the court to get guys to play hard. It’s crazy. And it’s every day. I’m tired of it. It’s every day. I have the most energy of everybody at practice every day. I’m upset with everybody in that locker room — my assistant coaches and my players. I mean, I don’t need to do anything else. I almost got 500 wins. I’m only 53. You’d think I’m coaching the Lakers. I mean, it’s a joke.”

The game vs. Maryland seemed to go no better as the Bruins lost 79-61. Given that this is UCLA’s first season in a new conference after having moved from Pac-12 to Big Ten, some troubles would be warranted. But as Cronin’s squad lost to the Terrapins, his ejection might have hurt worse.

Although he didn’t let the refs go easy either afterward, he at least didn’t take it out on his team this time.

Mick Cronin three days after putting UCLA on blast: “In defense of my guys…”

With 5:11 remaining on the clock, the refs had had enough of Mick Cronin’s antics and with two technicals, they ejected him from the game. Afterward, the head coach expressed his thoughts on scheduling in the new conference and the officials but actually took his team’s side this time.

“In defense of my guys, I didn’t think we were given any chance to win in the second half,” Cronin said. “I don’t remember the last time I had a technical. I had enough. I’m sending a message. I’m tired of it. I know we’re the outsider and all that — us, SC and Oregon — but that was ridiculous.”

The 6-point possession that resulted from the fouls did not do UCLA any good as Maryland ultimately took the victory. After suggesting that the game needed stronger officials, Cronin also took into account how his team only had one day to prepare for the game. The same will be the case for Rutgers, which UCLA plays on Jan. 13 next. The Bruins will need to score a win but they know Rutgers won’t make it easy.