Mick Cronin Is Ready to Play the New Game at UCLA

The Bruins' head coach opens up about NIL, the transfer portal, and what it takes to survive in modern college basketball.

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Mick Cronin is entering his eighth season as head coach of UCLA basketball, and he is looking for a bounce-back year after a disappointing 2024-25 campaign. The Bruins were perceived as one of the better teams in college basketball entering last season, coming in ranked 12th in the country in the AP preseason poll, but the year never came together the way the program had hoped.

UCLA finished with a 24-12 record, inconsistent for stretches but showing signs of life down the stretch. The Bruins closed the regular season on a 7-3 run over their final 10 games, which provided some momentum heading into March. Still, a seventh seed in the NCAA Tournament and a second-round exit at the hands of UConn left a great deal to be desired for a program with UCLA's expectations.

Mar 19, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin speaks with the media before a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Now, heading into a new season, the Bruins are on the outside looking in. With significant roster turnover and the hangover from last year's underperformance, UCLA is not being viewed as a top-25 program in the early going. That reality puts added pressure on Cronin to deliver results in year eight.

Much of the challenge facing Cronin, and coaches across college basketball, comes from the changing landscape of the sport. The transfer portal has reshaped roster building in ways that show no signs of slowing down, and the NIL era has fundamentally altered how programs recruit, retain, and develop players.

Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts in the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Cronin recently joined Jeff Goodman and Rob Dauster on the Field of 68 podcast to address those challenges head-on and explain how he is approaching this new era of college basketball.

Cronin's Problem With NIL

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts in the second half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Cronin was direct about the frustrations that come with navigating the current landscape, but equally direct about the mindset required to survive it.

"In this era, you can't let the NIL stuff eat you alive," Cronin said on the Field of 68. "'Why? Why? They've got to fix it.' All that stuff. Look, it is what it is. You sat down to play poker and, in the middle of the game, they changed the game. This is my analogy. It's simple. I got to sit down, obviously, at UCLA with the best hand: best campus, best tradition, best weather, best school, all that stuff. But then, they changed the game."

Mar 12, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin gestures to his team against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Beyond NIL itself, Cronin pointed to the relentless nature of the offseason calendar as one of the most draining aspects of coaching in this era. When the season ends, there is no time to step away.

"The season ends and we all need a vacation," Cronin said. "I read where Coach Kerr, Golden State got knocked out, he immediately went on a golf trip. We immediately met all day every day until the portal opened and did Zooms from 8 a.m., starting in Europe to American kids, until 6:00 every night. By the time 6:00 hits, I never want to hear myself talk again after doing Zooms that long. But that's just how it is. You've just got to play the game, man. And I think this is important."

How Cronin Adapts

Mar 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin signals to his players during the 2nd half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Rather than dwelling on what has changed, Cronin has made a deliberate choice to embrace the new reality and focus on what he can control. He laid out his philosophy plainly.

"So you've got two choices, the way I see it: play the new game or get up and leave. Quit playing. But to just sit there and cry that they changed the game the whole time, what you don't realize is you're ruining your life, your existence. That's how I look at it."

Mar 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts in the second half against the Southern California Trojans at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

That philosophy extends to roster management as well. Cronin made clear that while he cannot always get the players he wants, he still has agency over who is in his program and what kind of culture he builds.

"For me, you've got to realize, okay, is it how I would like it to be? No, of course not. But I am the coach at UCLA and I get to coach who I want. Now, you can't get everybody you want, but you don't have to bring back guys that you don't think are good guys, the kind of guys you want to be around, the kind of guys you want in your locker room. Just don't offer him the contract to come back."