UCLA decides to make a change after its first losing season in 55 years.
LOS ANGELES – Steve Lavin was fired as UCLA’s basketball coach Monday after the team’s first losing season since 1948.
Lavin, who took the Bruins to the final 16 of the NCAA tournament five times in six years, was told about the expected move in a meeting with new athletic director Dan Guerrero.
“Decisions like this are always tough,” Guerrero said. “However, if this program is to regain its place among the nation’s elite, I felt a change was required.”
UCLA went 10-19 overall and 6-12 in Pac-10 play, and its season ended with a 75-74 loss to Oregon in the conference tournament semifinals Friday night.
It was a stunningly poor year for a program that has won a record 11 national championships: 10 under John Wooden in the 1960s and 1970s, and one under Jim Harrick in 1995 – when Lavin was an assistant coach.
Lavin was promoted to the top job in November 1996, when Harrick was fired, and went 145-78 overall.
“I take the long view, and I am grateful for the experience of teaching at one of the world’s great universities,” Lavin said. “I will remember most the lasting friendships I’ve made, and I remain optimistic about the bright future of the program.”
Lavin had five years remaining on his contract. He will receive a buyout of one year of his full salary of $578,000, and four years at the base salary of $153,000. Guerrero noted Lavin’s accomplishments, including his teams’ NCAA tournament showings. Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski is the only other coach to take a team to the NCAA tournament’s round of 16 in five of his first six seasons.
Lavin’s best showing was reaching the final eight in 1997, the year the team won his only conference title.
“But my assessment of future success had to be based upon what I have observed this year,” Guerrero said.
“My conclusion was that for UCLA basketball to flourish, a change in leadership was necessary.”
Lavin himself expected to be fired this season. The team had not had a losing record since going 12-13 55 years ago under coach Wilbur Johns – who was replaced the next season by Wooden. This season’s record is the worst for the Bruins since 1942, when they were 5-18 under Johns.
In January, when criticism of Lavin reached a peak, Guerrero said he would evaluate the coach at the end of the season. At that time, Lavin denied he had considered resigning.
Guerrero fired football coach Bob Toledo in December after seven years. The men’s basketball season began with two rare exhibition losses, and then an overtime loss to San Diego in the opening game before defeats to Duke, Kansas and Michigan.
It looked like Lavin might have rescued his job with wins at Washington and Washington State to start the Pac-10 schedule, but a nine-game losing streak followed. Other lows included being swept by crosstown rival Southern California for the first time in 10 years, and a 10-game conference losing streak.
There were 10 losses at Pauley Pavilion, the most ever in a season, and the average attendance of 8,348 was the lowest since 1993 in the 12,819-seat arena.
At times, the Bruins were booed off their home floor, and fans wore T-shirts that said “Lose Lavin” and “Fire Lavin Immediately.”
Of course, the school’s fans expect to reach the Final Four or win a championship every year. That’s been the burden for the six coaches who followed Wooden. The first four after him resigned, and the next two were fired.
And for weeks, Lavin had spoken in the past tense about his 12 years at UCLA, including five as an assistant.
He never displayed the anger or bitterness of a coach whose job was in jeopardy. Instead, he offered gratitude for being given the opportunity in the first place, and he praised his players for sticking together during tough times.
“I want to acknowledge his dignity in handling his situation during difficult times this season,” Guerrero said.
Lavin’s teams were known for being unpredictable and unable to close out games against opponents they should have beaten.
For all the exhilarating victories during Lavin’s tenure, including four upsets of No. 1-ranked teams, there were losses to Ball State, Cal State Northridge, Detroit Mercy, Northern Arizona, Pepperdine and Tulsa.
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