Cronin 'Thrilled' to Bring Singleton on UCLA's Staff

UCLA Athletics made it official Wednesday that former Bruins sharpshooter will be joining Mick Cronin's staff as an assistant coach next season.

In the statement, Cronin expressed his delight to bring on the former coach and fan favorite onto the staff.

"I've always said that David has a lot of the traits and intangible qualities that come with being a coach and teacher," Cronin said. "It's obvious that David loves UCLA. Coaching him through his last four years here, I saw him develop into a selfless teammate who always put in the work. He's always had his eye on becoming a coach, and we are thrilled that we can add him to our staff. He understands what it takes to get a team to perform at a high level. He's stepping into a new role with us, and he will have the ability to make an imprint on our program in a different way. I am confident in his abilities, leadership and room for growth. Anyone who watched him play in Pauley Pavilion saw his dedication and passion. David is a Bruin, through and through, and I know he's excited to get to work this summer."

Singleton also shared his excitement to be back in Westwood after spending time in the NBA G League the last couple seasons.

"I'm very grateful to Coach Cronin and to UCLA for this opportunity to return to my alma mater and contribute to the program," Singleton said. "My time here as a student-athlete was extremely special, and I'm looking forward to adding to the legacy and program in any way that I can as an assistant coach."

Singleton spent five seasons under Cronin with the Bruins, gaining an extra year of eligibility because of COVID-19.

Over the course of his career, Singleton played in 164 games and started 40. He has career averages of 5.7 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. His 164 games is an all-time record for UCLA. Singleton is remembered for his sharpshooting 3-point ability as he finished as the Bruins' fifth all-time three-point percentage leader with a stellar 43.4% from behind the arc for his career. His 219 career 3-point makes ranks third all-time for the Bruins behind Bryce Alford (329) and Jason Kapono (317).

Singleton can bring his sharpshooting expertise to the team as Duke proved last season that spacing the floor is going to be a premium if modern college basketball teams want to compete deep into the postseason tournament.

The former Bruins' expertise mixed with his long-tenured experience under Cronin can prove to be a symbiotic for all parties involved next season.