Steve Alford Discusses Indiana Coaching Opening, Says He 'Loves UCLA'

UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford played down any speculation linking him with the newly vacated coaching position for the Indiana Hoosiers.

Alford said that he understood why he was mentioned as a possible replacement for Tom Crean, whom Indiana announced Thursday it fired. However, he remains content in Los Angeles, per ESPN.com's Brian Bennett.

"But I love UCLA. I love Los Angeles," Alford said. "You're talking about arguably the greatest brand anywhere on the planet. We've got things going at a very high level now, and we're very excited about it. And we're excited about being in this tournament and seeing what we can do."

Alford also declined to shut the door on Indiana completely, instead shifting the topic of discussion: "I don't want that to be what this is about. This is about us, and this is about what this group of guys is doing, and that's where my focus is."

Of course, it's not as if Alford would say anything else a day before the Bruins' first-round matchup with the Kent State Golden Flashes.

Roy Williams famously said he "could give a s--t" about going to North Carolina immediately following Kansas' national title defeat to Syracuse in 2003. A month later, Williams was on his way to Chapel Hill.

Just as taking charge of the Tar Heels was a return home for Williams, so it would be for Alford, who played four years at Indiana, winning a national championship in 1987. He'd also be rehabilitating a storied program that has seemingly stagnated in recent years.

The 52-year-old will almost certainly go out of his way to affirm his commitment to UCLA while the Bruins are still in the tournament, but it will be interesting to see how the situation unfolds once the team is no longer dancing.