Steve Alford has officially stepped down as the head coach of UCLA after leading the team for five and a half years. Despite facing criticism and calls for his dismissal from disappointed fans due to underwhelming seasons, Alford managed to hold onto his position with the help of successful recruiting classes that ranked among the top five teams by ESPN from 2016 to 2018.
However, UCLA’s athletic director, Dan Guerrero, made the decision to part ways with Alford following a recent 15-point home loss to Liberty. Alford will leave the campus with a substantial payout of over $4.4 million, which includes the remainder of his $2.6 million salary and a contractual buyout of $3.6 million.
Alford’s tenure at UCLA will likely be remembered as a disappointment, particularly due to the team’s recent struggles, losing six of their last nine games, marking a significant decline in performance compared to the illustrious history of the program under coaching legend Jon Wooden.
Reflecting on his departure, Alford stated, “There’s no issue with that with me. I just do my job as well as I possibly can, and that’s what I do every day. I’m a man of God, so I’ve got an audience of one. … And at the end of the day, if I know that I’ve prepared and worked hard, then that’s what matters to me.”
Alford was initially hired from New Mexico in 2013 and brought in promising five-star recruits during his tenure at UCLA. Despite this, his coaching career at the university faced challenges, including scrutiny around recruiting practices amidst the FBI bribery investigation that put the spotlight on talent acquisition in college basketball.
