Steve Alford has been fired as the head coach at UCLA after five-plus mediocre seasons.
The Bruins are looking for a new coach, so here are five guys who should be candidates for the job.
Fred Hoiberg
Fred Hoiberg has become a popular candidate as speculation has swirled about the UCLA job. The Chicago Bulls fired Hoiberg after a 5-19 start to the 2018-19 season. He was wildly unsuccessful in his three-plus years in Chicago, as he took over a very good team and underachieved.
During his time with the Bulls, Hoiberg posted a forgettable record of 115-155 (.426).
Despite his lack of NBA success, Hoiberg will always be a popular name for college basketball jobs because he did an incredible job during five seasons as the head coach at his alma mater, Iowa State. Hoiberg went 115-56 (.673) during his time with the Cyclones, and after a 16-16 record in his first campaign, boasted a 99-40 (.712) record over the next four. He reached the NCAA tournament in each of those final four years and reached the Sweet 16 in 2014.
Hoiberg rode his success at Iowa State straight to Chicago, where his system always felt like an awkward fit.
Given his pedigree as a former NBA player and coach, it should be easy for Hoiberg to recruit in UCLA’s talent-rich backyard. The Bruins could also get him relatively cheaply considering he was just bought out by the Bulls.
Don’t be surprised if this winds up happening.
