UCLA Men's Basketball Assistant Michael Lewis Named Next Ball State Head Coach

The former Indiana guard will be leaving the Bruins for the Cardinals at the conclusion of their NCAA tournament run.

While the Bruins are still in the middle of a deep tournament run, one member of the team knows exactly where he'll be in a few weeks time.

UCLA men's basketball assistant coach Michael Lewis, who has been a part of Mick Cronin's staff in Westwood since the start of the 2019-2020 season, is headed back home to become the next head coach at Ball State, the Cardinals announced Friday morning. Lewis went to Jasper High School (IN) and became one of the state's biggest standouts of the mid-1990s when he won Gatorade Player of the Year, and he took things one step further in the Hoosier by suiting up for Indiana.

Although Lewis is not joining the Hoosiers themselves, he's still on his way back to his home state after beginning his coaching career there as well.

Lewis was on the staffs at both Eastern Illinois and Butler, before going to Nebraska and eventually UCLA. Throughout his career, Lewis has played under Bobby Knight and coached under both Cronin and Brad Stevens, among others.

“Along with my family, I am very grateful for the opportunity to lead the men’s basketball program at Ball State University,” Lewis said in a statement released by Ball State. “Thank you to University President Geoff Mearns and Beth Goetz with whom I shared a vision for our program that will be aligned with their leadership and the values of Ball State. That united vision is paramount for success. We are very excited to return to the state of Indiana where basketball means so much to lead a program with tremendous history and great potential.”

Cronin has said for two seasons now that his assistants in Westwood were all head coach-caliber, and now the first one has been poached.

“Everyone at UCLA and I couldn’t be happier for Michael and his family," Cronin said in a statement released by UCLA Athletics. "He has been a huge part of our success over the last three years in Westwood. Ball State is getting a rising star in college coaching in Coach Lewis. Michael has the entire package of coaching acumen, player relation skills and recruiting chops to build the Cards into a force in the Mid-American Conference. I cannot wait to root for the Cardinals and watch Coach Lewis bring the excitement back to campus in Muncie. We will definitely miss Michael, but we are all very excited for him.”

UCLA is still in the middle of the NCAA tournament, and Lewis will remain on the staff in full capacity until the Bruins' run reaches its end. With the Sweet 16 tipping off Friday night, Lewis is two wins away from going to his second consecutive Final Four.

Ball State, on the other hand, is coming off back-to-back losing seasons, and they haven't had more than 21 wins since 2002-2003. The Cardinals are in the midst of a 22-year tournament drought coming out of the MAC – they made seven in the previous 20 years.

With Lewis taking charge, back embracing his Midwest roots, Ball State will look to return the program to mid-major prominence. 

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