UCLA Head Coaching Rumors: TCU's Jamie Dixon, UC's Mick Cronin Top Candidates

TCU Horned Frogs head coach Jamie Dixon and Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Mick Cronin are the "leading candidates" for the UCLA Bruins vacancy, according to the Los Angeles Times' Ben Bolch.  

UCLA fired Steve Alford on New Year's Eve, and Murry Bartow finished the 2018-19 season as the interim coach. Bolch reported the school wants to have a permanent replacement lined up "within the next week."

Bolch's report comes after Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari was linked to the opening.

According to The Athletic's Seth Davis, Kentucky was prepared to offer Calipari what amounted to a lifetime contract extension in order to ward off the Bruins. Stadium's Jeff Goodman spoke to a Kentucky spokesman who confirmed Calipari and the Wildcats had indeed agreed to a new deal.

Though neither Dixon nor Cronin can match Calipari's resume, either would be a good alternative for UCLA.

Dixon helped make the Pittsburgh Panthers a fixture in the NCAA men's basketball tournament and is in the process of turning TCU around. The Horned Frogs have won 20-plus games during each of his first three years and reached the Big Dance in 2018 before losing in the first round.

Cincinnati, meanwhile, just made its ninth straight tournament appearance under Cronin. The Bearcats reached the Sweet 16 in 2012.

Some Bruins fans might want to see UCLA hire a head coach with a bigger profile, but Bolch offered a harsh dose of reality in his piece, writing the school turned to Dixon and Cronin "after a bevy of more coveted coaches expressed no interest."

UCLA hasn't reached the Elite Eight since 2008, which also served as the last of the team's three straight Final Four appearances. A gulf seems to exist between where the fanbase sees the Bruins and where the program actually is relative to other top teams in the country. Three Sweet 16 appearances in five full seasons weren't enough to save Alford's job.

Historically speaking, UCLA remains one of the most prestigious programs in college basketball. At the moment, the Bruins are well below the standard set by Kentucky, Duke, Michigan State and Virginia, among others.

Hiring Dixon or Cronin—and not a more prominent name—might be an acknowledgment by the administration that a new coach will need time to leave his imprint on the team.