Former Bruins Coach Criticizes Cronin’s Use of Profanity
UCLA coach Mick Cronin faced some criticism over the weekend from a former Bruins coach regarding his language. Gary Cunningham, a former player, assistant, and head coach for UCLA, voiced his displeasure with Cronin’s frequent use of profanity.
The question arises: why is this issue being singled out over other potential coaching concerns?
Cunningham made the comments during a panel at the “Celebrating 50 Years of Learning from Coach Wooden” event on Saturday. LA Daily News’ Haley Sawyer covered the event and reported Cunningham’s remarks.
“I never heard a swear word [from John Wooden],” Cunningham said. “The coach here now [Cronin] doesn’t know how to make a sentence without a swear word.”
Is swearing really the defining difference between Wooden, one of the greatest college basketball coaches ever, and Cronin, a rising coaching star? It makes you wonder what Cunningham thinks about Bob Knight’s legendary tenure at Indiana, known for his fiery language.
The criticism from Cunningham is surprising, especially given the success Cronin has brought to the program since taking over six years ago. Under Cronin’s leadership, UCLA secured a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament and swept rival USC for the first time in his career.
In today’s college basketball landscape, it’s hard to find a coach who doesn’t occasionally use profanity to motivate or communicate with their players. The fact that this is being raised as a significant issue for one of UCLA’s most successful recent coaches seems a bit out of touch.
Cunningham had a successful career at UCLA as a player (1960-62), including a Final Four appearance in 1962. He later coached under Wooden from 1965 to 1975 before becoming the head coach of the Bruins from 1977 to 1979, compiling a 50-8 record and winning Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 1978.
However, Cronin isn’t known for swearing in postgame interviews or losing control with expletives during timeouts. Whatever Cunningham has observed doesn’t appear to be a widespread concern among Bruins fans and alumni.
As someone born nearly 40 years after Cunningham’s time at UCLA, it’s clear that language in coaching has evolved. What was once considered taboo, like swearing, has become more common, especially in moments of frustration during a long season.
This isn’t to say that swearing is essential for success, but it’s become a part of college athletics. If Cunningham were to hear the language used in today’s NBA, he might be shocked.
Cronin has accomplished a lot in his career, becoming the youngest active head coach to reach 500 wins, winning four Coach of the Year awards across three different programs, and leading UCLA to three Sweet 16s, a Final Four (in 2021), and a Pac-12 title in 2023.
If Cronin leads UCLA to another deep March run or even a Final Four appearance, and the biggest complaint remains his use of profanity, it’s safe to say he’s doing just fine in leading one of the most storied programs in college basketball.
Leave a Reply