Louisville Coaching Candidate Profile: UCLA Head Coach Mick Cronin

The former assistant coach for the Cardinals has ties to the region, and has things rolling out in Westwood.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men's basketball program mutually parted ways with Chris Mack last week, ending a nearly four-year run with the Cardinals. As the coaching search begins, we will break down each potential candidate, from the realistic to the far reaches. Next, we'll take a look at UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin.

Name: Mick Cronin
Age: 50
Born and Raised: Cincinnati, Ohio
Playing Career: La Salle High School
Previous Experience: Head coach at Murray State from 2003 to 2006, head coach at alma mater of Cincinnati from 2006 to 2019 before taking UCLA job.
Connections to Louisville: Served as an assistant coach under Rick Pitino from 2001 to 2003.

Pros: 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 11 seasons, Cronin has failed to reach the 20-win mark once (his first year at UCLA), along with six seasons where his teams cracked 25 wins. His squads are known for their toughness and grit on the defensive end, a style that will resonate with the Louisville fanbase. Since 2010-11, including this season, a Cronin-coached team has failed to crack the top 25 in defensive efficiency just three times. Being a midwestern guy, he has a plethora of recruiting ties to the area. Also having previously worked at Louisville, he should have an solid understanding of the expectations of the job.

Cons: As consistant as Cronin has been during the regular season, he has been remarkably underwhelming once the NCAA Tournament rolls around. Out his 12 trips to the Big Dance between his three head coaching stops, Cronin has made it past the first weekend just twice: 2012 when he took UC to the Sweet Sixteen, and last season when he guided the Bruins to the Final Four. In fact, before that season, Cronin had made one trip past the first weekend in 17 years as a head coach. When it comes to recruiting, while he has ties to the region, he hasn't proven to be a masterful recruiter. Out of his 16 recruiting classes between Cincy and UCLA, just two of them cracked the top 25, along with seven sub-top 50 finishes. To be fair, his current '22 class with the Bruins is No. 9 in the nation with three top-50 prospects and the No. 2 player in the nation in Amari Bailey.

Other Factors: It's hard to determine how much interest Cronin would have in the job. Yes, he's a midwest guy who has worked at Louisville before so the alure could be there, but he has things rolling at UCLA now. Would he be willing to leave? Oh, and as abrasive as Mack had a tendency to be in his final two years at Louisville, Cronin is arguably more so at times. If Cronin is hired, he better start winning quick.

Odds of becoming Louisville's next head coach: Moderate. Once the chatter about Bruce Pearl died down, Cronin's name has started to pop up a lot more as it pertains to the job. Kenny Payne is the clear frontrunner, but Cronin could very well be the second option. It all depends on interest.

Other Candidates:

Kenny Payne

Eric Musselman

Nate Oats

Steve Forbes

Scott Davenport

(Photo of Mick Cronin: Kelvin Kuo - USA TODAY Sports)

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