History of Mick Cronin (basketball) in Timeline

Mick Cronin is an American college basketball coach, currently head coach at UCLA, where he was named the 2020 Pac-12 Coach of the Year and led the Bruins to the 2021 NCAA Final Four. Before UCLA, Cronin coached at the University of Cincinnati from 2006 to 2019, earning AAC Coach of the Year honors in 2014 and guiding the Bearcats to nine consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. His coaching career also includes a stint at Murray State University from 2003 to 2006.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

July 17, 1971: Mick Cronin Born

On July 17, 1971, Michael Walter Cronin, who later became a prominent college basketball coach, was born.

1976: Gonzaga seeking to become first undefeated national champion

In 2020–21, Cronin's UCLA faced Gonzaga, who was seeking to become the first undefeated national champion since Indiana in 1976.

1985: Largest Final Four Point Spread

In 2020–21, UCLA was a 14-point underdog, the largest Final Four point spread since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

1988: Brother drafted by Atlanta Braves

In 1988, Mick Cronin's brother, Dan, was drafted by the Atlanta Braves.

1989: All-City Honors at La Salle

In 1989, while attending La Salle High School, Mick Cronin, playing point guard, earned all-city honors in basketball.

1991: Assistant Coach at Woodward High

In 1991, Mick Cronin started as a varsity assistant coach and junior varsity coach at Woodward High School.

1994: Director of Pittsburgh Roundball Classic

In 1994, Mick Cronin was the director of the Pittsburgh high school Roundball Classic national all-star game.

1996: Bachelor's Degree

In 1996, Mick Cronin received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Cincinnati.

1996: Video Coordinator at Cincinnati

In 1996, Mick Cronin took his first college coaching job as a video coordinator under Bob Huggins at the University of Cincinnati.

1996: End of Woodward High Coaching

In 1996, Mick Cronin's time as a varsity assistant coach and junior varsity coach at Woodward High School concluded.

1996: Coached at Magic Johnson Roundball Classic

In the spring of 1996, Mick Cronin coached the East team in the Magic Johnson Roundball Classic.

1997: Assistant Coach at Cincinnati

In 1997, Mick Cronin was promoted to assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati.

2001: Associate Head Coach at Louisville

In 2001, Mick Cronin became the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Louisville under Rick Pitino.

2001: Assistant Coach at Cincinnati

In 2001, Mick Cronin's tenure as assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati concluded.

2003: Head Coach at Murray State

In 2003, Mick Cronin became the head coach at Murray State University.

2005: Took over at Cincinnati

After the 2005-06 season, Mick Cronin was hired as Cincinnati's coach, replacing interim coach Andy Kennedy after the dismissal of Bob Huggins.

2005: Mother's Death

In 2005, Mick Cronin's mother, Peggy, died of cancer.

2006: Head Coach at Cincinnati

In 2006, Mick Cronin became the head coach at the University of Cincinnati.

2006: OVC Coach of the Year

In 2006, Mick Cronin was named the Ohio Valley Conference coach of the year while coaching at Murray State.

2008: First Elite Eight since 2008

In 2020–21, Cronin led the Bruins to an overtime victory over No. 2 seeded Alabama, reaching the Elite Eight for the first time in his coaching career (and the first for UCLA since 2008).

2009: Recruited Lance Stephenson

For the 2009–10 season, Mick Cronin successfully recruited Lance Stephenson, who was later named the Big East Rookie of the Year at Cincinnati.

2009: Divorced From Darlene Taylor

In 2009, Mick Cronin divorced from Darlene Taylor.

2010: Improved Win Totals

From the beginning of the 2010 season, Mick Cronin improved the school's win total each of his first five seasons at UC.

2011: Contract Extension

In 2011, the University of Cincinnati board of trustees approved a contract extension for Mick Cronin through 2017 with an average pay of $1.5 million a year.

2012: NCAA Tournament Win

In 2012, Mick Cronin became the only UC coach to lead the Bearcats to a win over a higher seed in the NCAA tournament, defeating 3rd-seeded Florida State.

2012: Pac-12 Championship

In 2022–23, UCLA won their first Pac-12 regular season championship since 2012–13.

December 22, 2014: Aneurysm Diagnosis

On December 22, 2014, Mick Cronin was diagnosed with an unruptured aneurysm.

2014: AAC Coach of the Year

In 2014, Mick Cronin was named the AAC Coach of the Year and guided the Cincinnati program to nine straight NCAA tournament appearances.

2014: Illness During Season

In the 2014–15 season, Mick Cronin missed a portion of the season due to illness, having only coached for the first nine games.

January 2, 2015: Taking Leave of Absence

On January 2, 2015, it was announced that Mick Cronin would not coach the remainder of the season due to his aneurysm diagnosis.

March 30, 2015: Cleared to Return to Coaching

On March 30, 2015, Mick Cronin announced he had a clean bill of health and was cleared to return to full-time coaching duties following his diagnosis of an arterial dissection.

2015: Bruins Sweet Sixteen

Cronin led the 2021–22 team to the Sweet Sixteen of the 2022 NCAA tournament, the first time the Bruins had reached the regional semifinals in consecutive seasons since 2015.

2016: Contract Extension Approved

In 2016, the UC board of trustees approved a 2-year extension that would have taken Mick Cronin through the 2022–23 season.

February 3, 2017: Successful Period at Cincinnati

From the beginning of the 2010 season to February 3, 2017, Mick Cronin's Bearcats amassed a 166-63 record, spent 45 weeks ranked in the AP Poll, and reached six straight NCAA tournaments.

March 2017: Fifth Third Arena Renovation

In March 2017, the University of Cincinnati began an $87 million renovation of Fifth Third Arena.

2017: Cincinnati Lost to UCLA in NCAA

After Cincinnati lost to UCLA in the 2017 NCAA tournament, they defeated the Bruins in two consecutive regular-season matches.

2017: Contract Extension End

In 2011, the University of Cincinnati board of trustees approved a contract extension for Mick Cronin through 2017.

2017: First NCAA tournament win since 2017

In 2020–21, UCLA defeated Michigan State in the First Four for the Bruins' first NCAA tournament win since 2017.

2018: Cincinnati Defeats UCLA

Cincinnati defeated the Bruins in two consecutive regular-season matches by an average of 21.5 points. Its 29-point win in 2018–19 was part of a UCLA four-game losing streak which led up to Alford's midseason dismissal.

2018: NCAA Tournament Appearance

In 2018–19, Mick Cronin's Cincinnati team appeared in its ninth straight NCAA tournament, but was eliminated in the first round.

2018: Arena Renovation Completed

In the fall of 2018, the $87 million renovation of Fifth Third Arena was completed.

April 9, 2019: Head Coach of UCLA

On April 9, 2019, Mick Cronin was named the fourteenth head coach of the UCLA Bruins.

2019: End of Cincinnati Tenure

In 2019, Mick Cronin's tenure as head coach at the University of Cincinnati ended.

2020: Pac-12 Coach of the Year

In 2020, Mick Cronin was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year during his first season as the men's head basketball coach at UCLA.

2020: Season finished with COVID-19 Pandemic

In the 2019–2020 season, the Bruins earned a No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the Pac-12 tournament. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference tournament was cancelled before the Bruins' first scheduled game in the quarterfinals, and the NCAA tournament was called off as well.