UCLA Bruins News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

It's past time for UCLA HC Mick Cronin to show his team some respect

UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin. Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

It's well past time for UCLA HC Mick Cronin to begin treating his players with much more respect

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Feb 18, 2026 9:27 PM ET

UCLA Bruins men's basketball head coach Mick Cronin's petulant behavior has brought unwanted attention to the storied program.

Cronin is under fire after ejecting one of his players in an 82-59 road loss to the Michigan State Spartans on Tuesday night. With the Bruins trailing 77-50 and 4:26 left in the game, Bruins center Steven Jamerson II was called for a flagrant for fouling Spartans center Carson Cooper on a dunk attempt. Cronin subsequently sent Jamerson to the locker room.

"You know, true toughness is how you compete and how you go to work every day. Steve's a good kid. He made a bad decision," Cronin said of the incident, via ESPN. "But if you want to be a tough guy, you need to do it during the game, for a blockout, for a rebound.

"So I was thoroughly disappointed. The guy was defenseless in the air. I know Steve was trying to block the shot, but the game's a 25-point game. You don't do that."

After the foul, UCLA HC Mick Cronin ejects his own player, Steven Jamerson III. pic.twitter.com/KOFMCDRYjg
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 18, 2026

Now, Jamerson shouldn't have fouled, but sending him to the locker room is an overreaction. However, Cronin's chastising of his players has become par for the course.

Unflattering report details Mick Cronin's poor treatment of players

Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star published a story Wednesday, featuring quotes from anonymous scouts discussing Cronin's behavior. They're appalled at the way he reportedly treats players.

"[Former UCLA HC] John Wooden would be beside himself at the way Cronin treats his players on a daily basis," an Eastern Conference scout said.

"Not sure why he's so combative," the scout continued. "He's an excellent coach and a great guy off the court."

Wooden, a 10-time national champion, had a zero-tolerance policy for profanity. Cronin, well, he's foul-mouthed.

"He mother(bleeps) them in practice like you wouldn't believe," a Western Conference scout said. "Oh, he (bleeps) them. Mick is the only coach I know who doesn't film his practice. You know why? He doesn't want evidence."

The evidence can still be found; it's on the court. The poor relationship between the coach and players is one key reason UCLA's season is unraveling.

The Bruins (17-9, 9-6 Big Ten) have lost three of their last five games, putting them at risk of missing the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the past three seasons. ESPN's Joe Lunardi lists UCLA as one of the last four teams to make the 68-team field in his updated bracket.

ESPN's Seth Greenberg, a former Virginia Tech Hokies HC, said Wednesday on "Get Up" that Cronin's irate behavior is a "by-product" of UCLA's play.

The coach, who's entering his seventh season with the school, should be feeling the heat. He signed a five-year extension with UCLA in May 2025. Missing March Madness would leave the school questioning that decision.

Pressure on the coach, though, doesn't excuse his behavior. It's time for Cronin to control his temper and stop mistreating his players. The Bruins could be winning more if he did just that.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

More must-reads: