Ranking each Big Ten basketball head coach for 2024-25 season
4. Mick Cronin, UCLA
Cronin may be overlooked as the Bruins join the Big Ten due to a down year in 2023-24. Still, the two-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year immediately slots in as one of the top coaches in the conference as he is closing in on 500 wins in his career and has a career winning rate around 68%. Cronin also has a vast amount of experience as he has been a Division I head coach for over two decades, starting at Murray State in 2003 before spending 13 seasons at Cincinnati. Cronin led the Racers to the NCAA Tournament twice and the Bearcats to the tourney in nine consecutive seasons. He has gone 115-53 in five years at UCLA, highlighted by a surprise Final Four run in 2021. Transitioning to the Big Ten could be an adjustment, but Cronin鈥檚 gritty style and defensive emphasis should fit well.
