University of California, Los Angeles Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero announced today that the Michael Price Family UCLA Head Men’s Basketball Coach Steve Alford has been relieved of his duties, effective immediately. Assistant Coach Murry Bartow, who has served as a head coach at previous institutions, will serve as Interim Head Coach through the end of the basketball season.
“Throughout my career as an athletic director, I have maintained a belief that making a head coaching change during a season is rarely in the best interests of our student-athletes or program,” said Guerrero. “In this case, however, it is now clear to me that what is best for our current students and for the overall good of the program, is to make this change now. While Steve led us to three Sweet 16 appearances, we simply have not been performing at a consistent level and our struggles up to this point in the season do not bode well for the future. On behalf of UCLA Athletics, I want to thank Steve, Tanya and the entire Alford family for their commitment to UCLA and wish them all of the best in the future.”
The terms of Alford’s contract will be honored by UCLA Athletics, exclusively using department-generated funds.
The 2018-19 season marks Alford’s sixth at the helm of the Bruins. During his time at UCLA, Alford compiled a 124-63 record, leading the Bruins to four NCAA Tournaments and three Sweet 16 appearances (2014, 2015 and 2017). Through five seasons at UCLA, Alford produced 11 NBA Draft selections, including seven first-round picks.
A comprehensive, national search for a new head coach will begin immediately. Guerrero will be assisted in the search by Senior Associate Athletic Director Josh Rebholz, Associate Athletic Director Chris Carlson and Bruin basketball alumnus and Golden State Warriors President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Bob Myers. Myers was a four-year basketball letterwinner at UCLA who was part of the 1995 NCAA championship team.
There is no set timeline to make a hire, and there will be no comment on the search or the candidates until a hire is announced.
Statement from Steve Alford
“I’m extremely appreciative to everybody at UCLA for what has been a tremendous run and the chance to work with such special student-athletes and coaches. While I wish we could have had more success, my family and I are so grateful for our time in Westwood. We wish this program nothing but the best. I sincerely hope that the UCLA community will rally around this team, its players and the coaching staff as Pac-12 play begins.”
