[13] In three seasons at Murray, Cronin led the team to the NCAA tournament twice and was named the 2006 Ohio Valley Conference coach of the year. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. he growled. Winning does, though. Sports Illustrated noted that he wrote the first scouting report on Chipper. Then, they'd join the older cats at Indian Hills prep in the evening. . Some of the first shots showed him with his head in his hands as UCLA fell into a 14-point hole, before the mood shifted dramatically in the second half. But Cronin clearly has every reason to stay. Shumate didnt let the demotion ruin his final college season. Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He often intentionally left basketball battles in the backyard against his brother bruised and bloodied. He'd work on his practice plans in the middle of his business classes. Cronin inherited eight seniors in his first season as head coach at Murray State in 2003, along with their bad habits. It was all smooth until something happened that observers along the sideline missed. He had built this remarkable pyramid of success, and now John Wooden was coaching the UCLA Bruins for the last time. 29 related questions found. "There was a lot going on in that backyard because we had kids from three towns over coming to play games in the backyard. Harold "Hep" Cronin. Their father was always on the move, schlepping from his job as a high school teacher to basketball practices as a coach to baseball games as a major league scout to the racetrack in the summers as a ticket-puncher. On the days he has her, he turns off the phone and the TV from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. No texting recruits or monitoring the big game. The Bearcats stumbled to an 11-19 record in Cronins first season, but their fortunes began to turn once he landed prep stars Yancy Gates and Cashmere Wright prior to his third season and Lance Stephenson prior to his fourth. Enjoy it.'". Harold Cronin Leagues Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com Sports Reference Baseball Football (college) Basketball (college) Hockey Soccer Blog Stathead Questions or Comments? My TV show has officially been hijacked by Sammi!! His passing wizardry fooled defenders and his on-court savvy helped him get steals and take charges. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book 100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. Advertisement In fact, Hep Cronin played a major role in the Braves drafting Chipper Jones with the first overall pick of the 1990 MLB Draft. Cronin played basketball at La Salle High School, but he suffered a torn ACL in his. The Bearcats harass teams with a defensive furor that few can equal. Cronin abruptly interrupted the session for a brief motivational chat. How is the issue.". He had to walk out of the room because he was getting choked up and he didn't want to cry in front of her.". My first year at Woodward, I was shocked you could outcoach guys, Cronin said. But he always reflects on Pitino's words as he considers his future. Success was a constant. "That's my best friend," senior forward Justin Jackson said. [22] At the time, the 47-year old Cronin had the most NCAA Division I wins (365) of any active coach younger than 50. They would be laughing over all the verses she had invented while harassing him, because he kept telling her he had a plan, and she kept telling him coaching freshman basketball and running around to camps with players was not a plan.". None of it appealed to Cronin, who also wanted to experience living in another city. I said, Youre making a mistake, Im going to be a head college basketball coach, Cronin, 47, said with a hearty laugh, one leg draped over the side of a leather chair inside his UCLA office. Mick Cronin played guard for his father at La . Plus, the 5-foot-7 Cronin likes the idea of extending a grand legacy that began with Oscar Robertson and grew under Bob Huggins, who led the program to the Final Four in 1992 and hired Cronin as a video coordinator in 1996. . He took up residence in a sprawling mansion alongside doctors and entrepreneurs. His father attended high school across the street. Just Sammi. His mother, who wrote a song about her doubts, wasn't initially convinced. Not Hollywood, not L.A., not the country, At 19, he won a local school board seat. song," Kelly Cronin said. And it's an attitude his players love. Cronin has tried to erect a wall between father and coach. "She called it the 'J.O.B.' It's the same place where he returned the favor and temporarily left his post at Murray State in 2005 to come home and care for her as she wrestled with multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer, in the final days of her life. But Cronin is deliberate about prioritizing his relationship with his daughter. Gaia. His mother, Peggy, lived in a building that once sat on the university's new baseball fields. He treks through the snow in his black UGG boots here. It wasnt long before the fledgling coach realized how far ahead of his counterparts he already was thanks to his fathers influence. Hep Cronin, left, speaks with his son, UCLA basketball coach Mick Cronin, at Micks home in Cincinnati. Aspect of the Ethereal. But Cronin's connection to the program, the city and a lively little girl nurtures the unique bond between the team, the coach and the community that surrounds them. Cronin joked that he inherited a golf team when he essentially succeeded Bob Huggins at Cincinnati in 2006 after the Bearcats spent one season under interim coach Andy Kennedy. Cincy entered the season as a sleeper in the American but could end the year as its champion. , While teaching and coaching high school basketball, he began his scouting career in 1966 as an Associate Scout for the Cincinnati area under Paul Snider. Since he couldnt prevail in the games on a sloped court with a wooden backboard, he would make Dan beat him up just to expend the energy. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. It is in Saint Anthony Park in Saint Paul in Ramsey County Minnesota, 2. In 1983 Hep lead the Highlanders to an undefeated regular season. He asked around and was informed that the man lived nearby. "Somebody had enough gas in a car to get there," Cronin said. He met a pack of buddies one night for a farewell celebration at the Montgomery Inn, the slow-roasted rib joint overlooking the Ohio River. When the balls being passed, are you jumping into position?. The Bulldogs' Julian Strawther made a 35-foot (11m) basket with six seconds remaining, and they held on for the win. Like his peers in the profession, Cronin has a little crazy in him. The following year, his team went to the Final Four. The hardwood and asphalt around Cincinnati are stained by Cronin's blood, sweat and tears. His world was changing. I knew I wasnt going to win but I was tough enough to take him on. By 2006, he'd been hired to lead to his alma mater and hometown squad after Huggins resigned. He also felt it was a place where his teenage daughter, Sammi, could thrive. [32] UCLA was a 14-point underdog, the largest Final Four point spread since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Cronin's father is Harold "Hep" Cronin, who had more than 400 career wins as a high school head coach at Roger Bacon, Oak Hills and La Salle. He led the city in assists and was second in 3-point shooting percentage during the 198990 season. [a] Cronin had coached against the Bruins three times. [17], In 2011, the University of Cincinnati board of trustees approved a contract extension for Cronin through 2017 with an average pay of $1.5million a year. And when it's not feasible to keep her next to him, he calls on his father or sister for some assistance. In 201819, Cincinnati appeared in its ninth straight NCAA tournament, but was eliminated in the first round by Iowa. It was a devastating verdict. "I still remember Rod Foster against Ohio State in 1980," said Cronin. Thats a tough one, man, Dan said after a lengthy pause, his voice cracking. . 1 Michigan to go from First Four to Final Four", "13 ridiculous stats that show off undefeated Gonzaga's historical dominance", "U.C.L.A. Dad, Mick said, We had them the whole way., I said, Yeah, Hep recalled. Hep reminded the coach that Mick was only 4; Dan was 6 and some of the kids on the team were even older. He took the cash, but he abandoned his happiness. He treated the gig as though he was leading North Carolina or Kansas. Cronin isn't just the Bearcats' coach. health Transgender health Hepatitis C Type 2 diabetes Inflammation Vaccinations and immunizations Lung cancer Weight . One misstep in a high school game during his junior season at La Salle ruined ligaments and any dreams of playing high-major college basketball. Here are 22 essential L.A. spots for every tourist, Column: We cant afford another writers strike. She has a segment on his weekly TV show, so he has to make sure those curls are prim. In seconds, Cronin can switch from berating his players for allowing "Peyton Manning" passes to poking Kilpatrick about the time some guy named George "busted you in the lip last summer." Everybody involved here knows we've gotta upgrade somehow. This is a city where his mother would whip up soft, deviled eggs for her youngest son whenever he was sick. When the balls on the ground and theyre dribbling the ball, how are you defending? "He only played basketball. He coached 3 league championship teams, was a district champion. "You gotta move on.". Only 19 at the time, Cronin readily agreed. He would say our success big-picture and then game to game is going to be determined by what happens when the ball is in the air and on the ground, Shumate said. A new or renovated facility would help. [20] Cronin said, "This building is about our future and is a testament to the commitment our university and donors have toward our programs. That's why they trust him when he tells them he's more interested in their quality of life than their ability to help him win games. Cronin grew up on the west side of Cincinnati, the son of Peggy and Harold "Hep" Cronin. He had to walk out of the room because he was getting choked up and he didn't want to cry in front of her.". Then hes asked what it will be like to see Mick leave Cincinnati. Hep, a legendary high school coach, sits behind the UC bench home or away. His knee swelled up to twice its normal size every time he played. 1 in this weeks top 20 high school softball rankings, Clippers expect Kevin Durant to play more aggressively on offense in Game 2, Eric Kendricks finds himself in middle of a big hole in Chargers defense, Hunter Renfroes three-run blast powers Angels to rain-disrupted win over Red Sox. "He cares about your future and really cares about what happens with your future besides basketball. Updates, scores and results from Sundays second-round games at the NCAA mens basketball tournament in Indiana. Just Sammi. This is the fifth season that Cronin has won 19 or more games at Cincinnati. From the beginning of the 2010 season to February 3, 2017, the Bearcats had amassed a 16663 record, spent 45 weeks ranked in the AP Poll, and reached six straight NCAA tournaments, while picking up four tournament wins. He returned to the starting lineup for the start of Ohio Valley Conference play and helped the Racers win the conference tournament to reach the NCAA tournament. "There was a lot going on in that backyard because we had kids from three towns over coming to play games in the backyard. Then, they'd join the older cats at Indian Hills prep in the evening. He was a history major at Cincinnati, and others werent convinced he was headed for the big time. Dan knew that UCLA was his brothers top choice should he ever leave home. He was Cincinnati through and through, having grown up in the city playing basketball for his father, Harold "Hep" Cronin, and going to the University of Cincinnati. He can only highlight his desires and continue to win, something the Bearcats didn't do against Louisville last weekend. His father, Harold "Hep" Cronin, is a legend on the high school circuit here. Cronin grew up on the west side of Cincinnati, the son of Peggy and Harold "Hep" Cronin. 16. He spent his teenage years searching his hometown for the hottest pickup games with his best friend and current Dallas Mavericks assistant Monte Mathis. "She called it the 'J.O.B.' Cronin was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year. Beloved wife of Harold Hep Cronin, loving mother to Kelly Cronin, Dan Cronin, Mick Cronin and loving mother-in-law to Darlene Cronin. Bolch was once selected by NBA TVs The Starters as the Worst of the Week after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments. Cronin was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year in his first season with the Bruins in 201920. He is affiliated with medical facilities St. Vincent's Medical Center and Bridgeport Hospital. A party of nine that also included Micks brother, Dan, celebrated after the game at a nearby steakhouse. Due to the school having done little to no recruiting for nearly a year, Cronin was forced to scrounge for players. 1 in the 2023-24 men's Way-Too-Early Top 25, Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato. "That was his only sport," said Hep Cronin, who coached his son at La Salle and was inducted into the Greater Cincinnati Hall of Fame last year. There's a half-eaten Chick-fil-A sandwich and a collection of fries on the table. "The rest of them have bad seats. That was my whole life.". His mysterious suit guy -- he won't name him -- is here. Cronin was named The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach on April 9, 2019. I havent seen him in one year, youre not stopping me. . Just like his sons team, Hep would not be denied. When the balls in the air, are you blocking out? They lost their last three regular-season games in a row and lost their game against Oregon State in the Pac-12 tournament. I walked out of the arena with my girlfriend, Dan remembered, and said, I could see him coaching here.. Ohio to parents Peggy Cronin and Harold "Hep" Cronin. I mess with him every day.. His father, Harold "Hep" Cronin, is a legend on the high school circuit here. Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame at Midway Stadium, Mick Cronins Dad is a Famous Baseball Scout & His Sons Biggest Fan, St. Paul Saints to Induct Harold Cronin into Scout Hall of Fame (May 12, 2008). "'You got to get a J.O.B. Cronins hopes of playing in college ended with a gruesome knee injury he suffered as a junior. He knocked on the door of the residence and was greeted by a young woman. As a child growing up on the west side of the city, he used to follow around his father Harold "Hep" Cronin, a highly successful local high school coach with more than 400 career wins, around the gyms of Cincinnati. They would be laughing over all the verses she had invented while harassing him, because he kept telling her he had a plan, and she kept telling him coaching freshman basketball and running around to camps with players was not a plan.". Hep, a retired high school basketball coach who has served as Mick's lifelong mentor, speaks with his son four or five times a week, sometimes twice in a day and sometimes none. But Cronin is deliberate about prioritizing his relationship with his daughter. The day Cronin's ex-wife, Darlene, left their former home in January 2008 with his little girl in tow, he nearly crumbled. [31] They faced Gonzaga, who was seeking to become the first undefeated national champion since Indiana in 1976. Cronin has coached and served on the selection committee for the Adidas camp and spent four summers on the staff of the Five-Star Teaching Camp. Cronin had been named the coach of the year of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) in 2014 and guided Bearcats' program to nine straight NCAA tournament appearances (through 201819). But the Rick Pitino and Bob Huggins disciple continues to say no -- a simple word with a layered explanation. It's a rare situation that allows him to guide his alma mater, be a committed father and stay close to those he loves. A new or renovated facility would help. They advanced to a regional semifinal only once under Cronin, in 2012, and were bounced by Nevada in the second round last year after losing a 22-point lead in the final 11 minutes. His mother, Peggy, lived in a building that once sat on the university's new baseball fields. After the 200506 season, he was hired as Cincinnati's coach, replacing interim coach Andy Kennedy after the dismissal of Bob Huggins. Doctors told him that he'd face knee replacement surgery by the time he turned 30 if he tried. During Thursday's game, the TBS broadcast team featured Hep often in the stands at Mackey Arena, sporting his UCLA shirt and sweating out every possession of a tight game like one would . Leon liked that Cronin upgraded his defense and challenged his strategy. In 1988 he became a full-time Scout in charge of four states. He took the cash, but he abandoned his happiness. Mick Cronin's dad (and biggest fan) is Harold "Hep" Cronin. Hep said his son went into seclusion for a week. Who is the old guy UCLA? [44], National champion Don't make the mistake I did. Another program had the gift of a multimillion-dollar TV deal, additional BCS money from a conference revenue-sharing deal and more national exposure than the Bearcats currently enjoy playing in the American Athletic Conference. "The problem is only three or four [thousand] of them have good seats," Cronin said. [35], On March 17, 2022, Cronin's contract was extended for 6 years to the 202728 season. Now the call was entirely Cronins. He was born here. He earned his mettle in pickup games at rec centers and prep courts around town before a knee injury ended his playing career here. Sammi goes home with him even after tough losses. It also helped that the rankings gurus missed on him. It was all smooth until something happened that observers along the sideline missed. "He's someone that cares about you," Kilpatrick said. "I just never was going to let that happen, because I hear too many stories about these guys that get out of coaching to meet their kids," Cronin said. 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