UCLA's Cronin Explains Apology for Viral Jamerson Ejection

After a few days of silence, UCLA head coach Mick Cronin finally addressed his viral outburst that led to him ejecting forward Steven Jamerson from the game against Michigan State.

The incident took place during the Bruins’ 82-59 loss to the #15 ranked Spartans. After Jamerson committed a hard foul in the final minutes with the game largely decided, he was assessed a flagrant foul after a brief altercation. Nothing out of the ordinary, and it didn’t escalate any further than that. However, that wasn’t the end of it.

Bizarre chain of events

In the immediate aftermath, Cronin could be seen pulling on Jamerson’s jersey, directing the San Diego transfer to go back to the locker room. Jamerson would then leave the court, and the bizarre incident would go viral on social media that night.

Days later, Cronin is now turning the temperature down a notch, revealing that he apologized to Jamerson for his action, while also explaining his reasoning for the ejection.

UCLA's head coach Mick Cronin reacts during the first half against Michigan State on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After further review

“I thought he took the guy out,” Cronin said. “That’s the only reason I sent him to the locker room. I thought he literally made a dirty play, and tried to wipe the guy out. You can’t be down 25, you’re getting your butt kicked, don’t try to hurt somebody on the other team, which is what I thought. I apologized to Steve.”

“Steve’s everything that’s good about college basketball,” he added. “He walked on at San Diego, got a scholarship, graduated from a great school, he’s here getting his masters. He’s everything that I believe about college basketball.”

In what was a rather embarrassing moment for the UCLA brand, Cronin also apologized for any bad press that may have risen as a result of his reaction to Jamerson’s flagrant foul.

“The brand is important to me,” Cronin said. “I was wrong, I apologized to him. Sometimes I’m too candid, for example, talking about how bad our flight was after the NCAA Tournament. I’m lucky to coach here. In this climate, you’ve got to be careful with what you say. Here, I’m a good figure because I know I’m not bigger than the brand. The brand matters here, the school matters. The last thing I want to do is bring negative publicity to our school. I need to do a better job knowing that I am the coach here, and I need to make sure I don’t do anything to embarrass our school.”

Feb 17, 2026; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin gestures after a turnover against Michigan State Spartans during the first half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images | Dale Young-Imagn Images

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