UCLA Fires Alford, Launches National Search

The holidays just became unboring.

As was rumored, UCLA has fired Steve Alford. They have promoted Murray Bartow to be the interim coach which is interesting because his father, Gene, was also a head coach at UCLA.

The elder Bartow was the first coach to try to replace John Wooden, a task that has proved very difficult in Westwood.

Alford has been unpopular since he was hired and never won fans over. The Ball family fiasco probably didn’t help either.

UCLA will conduct the traditional national search and we’ll bet you that Rick Pitino’s agent has already pitched the former Louisville coach as a natural fit. If you peel away the bad stuff at Louisville, there’s a good argument there: he’s a brilliant coach, he has succeeded everywhere he’s been and UCLA will be transformed as soon as he takes over which, unlike most coaches, he could to tomorrow, or as soon as he could get back from Greece where he’s currently coaching.

Incidentally, Tony Bennett’s name has come up. Although he’d do well anywhere, UCLA fans, we’re guessing, would hate his deliberate style and why would he leave? In Virginia he’s a king. In LA, he’s just another loser coach to scorn for whatever reason.

• Steve Alford lived in his own world -- one that apparently didn’t include UCLA
• UCLA coaching candidates: 10 possible replacements to coach the Bruins after the firing of Steve Alford
• Murry Bartow takes over as UCLA interim basketball coach after Steve Alford fired
• UCLA fires Bruins basketball coach Steve Alford, begins national search for his replacement