Utah Head Coach Larry Krystkowiak Listed As Candidate For UCLA Job
Dec 31, 2018, 4:39 PM
Head coach Larry Krystkowiak of Utah Utes reacts during the first half of the college basketball game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center on January 5, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – UCLA head basketball coach Steve Alford is out and Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak is among the list of rumored candidates to take over the job.
Following UCLA’s embarrassing 73-58 loss to Liberty on Saturday, the university announced on Monday that Alford had been relieved of his duties.
It was the first time in the programs’ 100-year history that a head coach was fired in-season.
“While Steve led us to three Sweet 16 appearances,” UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero said, “we simply have not been performing at a consistent level and our struggles up to this point in the season do not bode well for the future.”
Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times rattled off a list of potential replacements for Alford which included Krystkowiak.
Along with the Utah head coach, Bolch listed Oklahoma City Thunder’s Billy Donovan, Virginia head coach Tony Bennett, Michigan head coach John Beilein, Gonzaga’s Mark Few, North Carolina State head coach Kevin Keatts, TCU’s Jamie Dixon, Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard, Cincinnati’s Mick Cronin, Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall and former Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg.
Another name that has been floating around to replace Alford is former Utah Jazz point guard Earl Watson, who has experience as a head coach when he was with the Phoenix Suns. He also played for UCLA from 1997-2001.
Krystkowiak has been the head coach of the Utes since they joined the Pac-12 in 2011. He has a 143-103 during his tenure in Salt Lake City. Krystkowiak has had four different head coaching jobs since 2003.
With 11 national championships and a rich history of tradition and success, mostly built by legendary coach John Wooden, the Bruins’ head coaching job should be considered one of the nation’s premier destinations.
The search for UCLA’s next head coach will be led by Guerrero, senior associate athletic director Josh Rebholz, associate athletic director Chris Carlson and Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Meyers, who was a member of the Bruins’ 1995 national championship team.
