Big Ten coach gets blasted for comments following loss to Michigan

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It's safe to say that UCLA head basketball coach Mick Cronin's postgame comments after losing to Michigan didn't go over well. Following a at 19-point loss to the Wolverines in their own building, Cronin stepped in front of the media and delivered a brutal assessment of his basketball program.

"We don't play...we're soft, so don't tell me you want to win. Like just don't tell me you want to win," Cronin said. "It's crazy, you know? And it's every day, and I'm tired of it. It's every day. I have the most energy of anybody 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. It's a joke, it's a joke. But yet I come in and I have more passion and energy and pride than everybody in...that's the problem. So what the truth of it has been, it's really hard to coach people who are delusional. The hungry dog gets the bone. We've got guys that think they're way better than they are. They're nice kids. They're completely delusional about who they are."

It would be one thing if Cronin saved those brutal comments for the locker room, but to take those harsh words to the media was certainly a choice. His comments obviously made their way to social media, where folks from all across the country weighed in on what they heard. One of those individuals is ESPN College Basketball analyst, Jay Bilas. In a video posted to his Twitter/X account on Tuesday, Bilas didn't hold back when sharing his thoughts on Cronin's comments.

"I didn't care for what Mick [Cronin] had to say after the loss to Michigan," Bias said. "Coaches like to talk about accountability a lot, and rightfully so. I think accountability is important in everything. But I don't think that's what accountability really looks like. That to me looked simply like blame. I heard a lot of 'I,' you know? 'I'm doing this and nobody else is doing it.' And, one, I don't think that's true. But that's for him to decide, not me. But I didn't care for it. And often times when I hear something like that, and it's not often, I think about what Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers says. He says he loves coaches that resist the responsibility of coaching because they're easy to beat. And when you talk negatively about your players, what you're really doing is seeking comfort because you're teaching is struggling."

Bilas certainly has a point. It's rare, even odd, to hear a coach speak that way in front of the media about his or her players. It's especially odd when you also use that opportunity to pat yourself on the back while those around you are struggling.

"I get it," Bilas continued. "Coaches like to think that they're more passionate and they're tougher than their players. But, I happen to think this is true, Mick Cronin is not tougher than his players. When he was playing he would not have gotten one loose ball, one rebound against the guys he's got now."

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Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.