In Reply to: How do we feal about Cronin's progress? posted by KirklandBruin on October 20, 2026 at 10:51:16
I'm not concerned with whether he lands five-star recruits out of high school or finds his superstars through the portal. As long as he's able to bring in elite talent, I'm good with it. Last year, he fell well short in that department with Blackwell and a couple of others, although he eventually found Kustu. At the end of the day, I don't care how he gets it done, but he needs to find the right balance of role players and at least one or two high-level difference-makers.
As far as his progress goes, it's difficult to make a definitive judgment. He's had to navigate both COVID and the NIL era, and I think UCLA's administration was slow to embrace NIL, which set the program back. That said, I don't buy the argument that UCLA is so financially strapped that it can't compete with the big-money programs. There are different ways to build a winner, as the Brewers just proved to my Dodgers. Having the most money certainly helps, but UCLA is hardly operating below the poverty line.
All that said, this is a huge year for Cronin. If this team can't compete with the upper echelon of the conference, I think it's time to start seriously considering a plan for the future. I don't necessarily see a championship team this year, but I do see a darn good team that should be competitive. And if Kustu develops the way I expect him to, adding a couple of key pieces next year could give Cronin a legitimate championship-caliber roster.
If that doesn't happen, though, it would be pretty telling. At some point, we have to ask whether he's capable of getting UCLA back to the promised land. If he can't get it done with the right pieces in place, UCLA may have to make a move.
Honestly, one more major public blowup, and I think the administration should seriously consider moving on while there's still a good team in place. A change at that point could make the job more attractive to potential coaching candidates, especially if they're inheriting a solid foundation rather than having to rebuild from scratch.