OT: Alford gives back one year extension

[ichawk24]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...eve-alford-says-given-back-one-year-extension

Instead of going back to the drawing board after a 15-17 mark and a 10th-place finish in the Pac-12, UCLA Bruins coach Steve Alford has gone about reworking his contract.

Alford, in a letter to Bruins fans and supporters, said he is returning the one-year contract extension he signed after the 2013-14 season.

"At the end of the day, year three was clearly not up to UCLA standards. My coaching staff and I fell short not only of our own expectations, but the expectations of [athletic director] Dan [Guerrero], the Chancellor and you, our fans," Alford said in the letter. "As a coaching staff, we intend to earn that extension back."

The extension was for the 2020-21 season and was signed after Alford led the program to its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2008.

"I earned an extension in our work year one, [but] didn't earn things in this season," Alford said to ESPN. "The right thing to do is give the extension back."

The announcement came after two banners seeking Alford's removal as coach flew over campus this past week.

This year marked the first time since 1954 that the Bruins lost to the Trojans three times in one season.

 

[noStemsnoSTICKS]

Wonder if he'll be giving back any of that jing Iowa paid him. Pretty sure he didn't live up to expectations then.

 

[BubsFinn]

I doubt he'll give back any of the money UCLA paid him.

 

[Rustys Dad]

PR move ... Alford will be canned soon anyway so in the end it won't matter ... UCLA will still owe him a nice chunk of change ... Similar to what Boy Wonder did at Iowa: Took the New Mexico job like it was a step up to go to the Mountain West ... When in fact Alford knew he was down to his final year at Iowa and that he would be fired at the end of it ... So ... he instead took the job at New Mexico ... Alford's sort of like a Lane Kiffin ... where you scratch your head and wonder how he keeps landing these jobs because honestly, he hasn't done much ...

 

[starbrown]

Wonder if he'll be giving back any of that jing Iowa paid him. Pretty sure he didn't live up to expectations then.

He is responsible for the coaching monetary arms race at Iowa. After year 2 he renegotiated his contract with Bob Blowsby and joined the million dollar club IIRC. You better believe Kirk was paying attention. And from now on every coach of a milk-money sport will demand a high ransom whenever he proves himself slightly above average. I don't like player-bashing. But coach-bashing is OK IMO because if you want a mountain of gold, you better perform like you've earned it.

 

[NevadaHawk]

Tom Davis' contract was not renewed and Alford was hired in the belief SA would take the program to the "next level". Davis, (the last HC to get Iowa to the sweet 16) coached his last game for Iowa in 1999. 17 years and three coaches later we still have yet to arrive at the "next level".

 

[ichawk24]

But in those 17 years we have 3 NCAA wins, so the move ended up brilliantly.

 

[bravehawks1]

If Alfraud was really serious about doing a poor job this year, he would have given back the current year salary, not something 5 years down the road with a completely different group of players. He know he won't be around that long so he really is not giving up anything since he has a big payout coming when they fire him.

 

[fivecardstud14]

This board loves to bash Alford at every turn. I'm sure a lot of you fans would rather have Lickliter because "he's a nice guy who had Brust & Larson coming in."

 

[starbrown]

This board loves to bash Alford at every turn. I'm sure a lot of you fans would rather have Lickliter because "he's a nice guy who had Brust & Larson coming in."

non-sequitur (typical)

 

[Sett1997]

If Alfraud was really serious about doing a poor job this year, he would have given back the current year salary, not something 5 years down the road with a completely different group of players. He know he won't be around that long so he really is not giving up anything since he has a big payout coming when they fire him.

Give back his salary because they had a down year?? Really?

 

[OldTownPepe]

This board loves to bash Alford at every turn. I'm sure a lot of you fans would rather have Lickliter because "he's a nice guy who had Brust & Larson coming in."

Nobody is bashing Steve Alford. He created his own persona, and the comments about him are simply a natural response from fans. Giving back a contract extension that is meaningless at this point is just another example of Alford's self-serving tactics. And, again, Lickliter should never be used as a baseline for comparison. He was below any baseline and in a category of awful that is incomparable.

 

[ih8iast8]

Give back his salary because they had a down year?? Really?

Yeah, & he gave back his 2020-21 extension....who cares.

 

[The Sleeping Dog]

Pandering like that will get you arrested in some states. The UCLA fans burned crosses on Gene Bartow's yard because he only made the FF.

While Alford is the master of self-promotion he remains the narcissistic incompetent that ever so badly damaged our boys BBall program. He's like an infectious cancer, probably testicular.

 

[moondog24]

Tom Davis' contract was not renewed and Alford was hired in the belief SA would take the program to the "next level". Davis, (the last HC to get Iowa to the sweet 16) coached his last game for Iowa in 1999. 17 years and three coaches later we still have yet to arrive at the "next level".

Unfortunately the next level was heading downward. It has taken several years to get back to respectability.

 

[iowalaw]

First off, let's be a little objective here. What Alford did was extremely commendable. He underperformed as a coach, so he gave back $2.5 million dollars! Not chump change. How many of us would have bowed down and applauded Ferentz after two season's ago's absolute embarrassment of a season where he was literally out coached almost every game of the season and was blown out/under prepared against TN in the bowl game? Instead, he said "that's football" and collected his $4 million because he must have felt he "earned it."

Call a spade a spade. Alford may be a punk, but he led New Mexico to the Sweet 16 then led UCLA to two Sweet 16s before this season. He had one down year and he copped to it and gave up his salary. I believe Bob Knight did the same thing about 10 yrs ago. A stand up move.

 

[mtown66]

First off, let's be a little objective here. What Alford did was extremely commendable. He underperformed as a coach, so he gave back $2.5 million dollars! Not chump change. How many of us would have bowed down and applauded Ferentz after two season's ago's absolute embarrassment of a season where he was literally out coached almost every game of the season and was blown out/under prepared against TN in the bowl game? Instead, he said "that's football" and collected his $4 million because he must have felt he "earned it."

Call a spade a spade. Alford may be a punk, but he led New Mexico to the Sweet 16 then led UCLA to two Sweet 16s before this season. He had one down year and he copped to it and gave up his salary. I believe Bob Knight did the same thing about 10 yrs ago. A stand up move.

True, but you do realize that the experience that Alford needed to coach those teams to those Sweet Sixteens he got at Iowa. At least that was the cry of many fans who just refused to believe that Alford could, in fact, coach.

 

[starbrown]

True, but you do realize that the experience that Alford needed to coach those teams to those Sweet Sixteens he got at Iowa. At least that was the cry of many fans who just refused to believe that Alford could, in fact, coach.

I think you and law need to read his contract before you both claim he gave away 2.5 million dollars to UCLA.

 

[hawkeyeguy69]

I think you and law need to read his contract before you both claim he gave away 2.5 million dollars to UCLA.

Right. That certainly wasn't guaranteed money... He has drove them down after going to the Sweet 16 with somebody else's players. Much like Prohm, he did not earn it, he rode it. Will they continue to spiral? We will see. If I was a UCLA fan, I'd be a little nervous.

Anyhow, I am kind of sick of reading about Alford & ISU on our board. Shame on me for feeding that...

 

[AuroraHawk]

Alford never took the Lobos to the Sweet 16.

And, if you look at who UCLA beat in both 2014 and 2015 NCAA tournaments, his "Sweet 16 success" is overblown. UCLA's most impressive win was last year's controversial upset over SMU which required a highly questionable goaltending call for UCLA to advance.

 

[Titanhawk2]

I think you and law need to read his contract before you both claim he gave away 2.5 million dollars to UCLA.

His contract has a defined termination amount up to April 2018, so at this point if he's terminated over the next 3 years the value of that last year is meaningless.

 

[longliveCS40]

I thought Alford had improved a little bit after he left Iowa but he really hasn't. He's just had a few years where he had great talent.

The guy has been a complete bust for UCLA and will be fired after next season.

 

[iowalaw]

it sounds like sour grapes to say he just had great talent and is not a good coach. He was three-time coach of the year in his conference at New Mexico. He recruited some studs there. He recruited some studs at Iowa (he had a top-five recruiting class in the nation for us). He has recruited well at UCLA. Most of the job as college coach is to recruit talent. Fran should take note rather than relying on Iowa boys and walk ons to get it done.

 

[bravehawks1]

His contract has a defined termination amount up to April 2018, so at this point if he's terminated over the next 3 years the value of that last year is meaningless.

This!
He gave away something he really didn't have yet as a gesture to save his job. If he really wanted to make a statement that he didn't deserve something, he would ask for a pay cut and then work to get it back through future extensions. So at this point, SA has the exact same financial security that he did prior to giving the extension year away due to the termination clause for 2018

 

[regibson1]

it sounds like sour grapes to say he just had great talent and is not a good coach. He was three-time coach of the year in his conference at New Mexico. He recruited some studs there. He recruited some studs at Iowa (he had a top-five recruiting class in the nation for us). He has recruited well at UCLA. Most of the job as college coach is to recruit talent. Fran should take note rather than relying on Iowa boys and walk ons to get it done.

He didn't recruit the talent at UCLA that took them to two final 16's. This is year three for him and most of his players are players now that he has recruited. (That's why they were 15-18 this year). It is the job as college coach to recruit talent and this year it appears that Alford has recruited a great class. We will see how this upcoming class fares next year because if Alford has another season like this year he won't be back at UCLA.

As far as Fran is concerned, he didn't inherit the team that Alford inherited at UCLA when coming to Iowa. It is a little easier to recruit players to UCLA than Iowa. Fran has gotten Iowa on better footing athletically every year and his last two recruiting classes I believe are his best since coming to Iowa. We will see who has the better record next year and I doubt that it will be Alford even though Fran will be playing with players that he recruited from Iowa.

 

[iowalaw]

It's not complicated to look up. Since Alford has been at UCLA, here is how the two coaches have recruited. Any questions? Yes, the 5 four star recruits and two 5 star recruits on last year's UCLA Sweet 16 team were recruited by Alford. Next year he brings in two more 5 stars. And that doesn't even count his son, who was unrated. If Fran's recruiting is really picking up lately, it sure doesn't show. He brought in SIX...yes SIX three stars last year and three more this year. Nice role players to round out a roster, but not next level talent.

Alford Fran
2013: one 5*, one 4* zero 4 or 5*
2014: one 5*, two 4* zero 4 or 5*
2015: two 4* zero 4 or 5*
2016: two 5*, one 4* one 4*

He didn't recruit the talent at UCLA that took them to two final 16's. This is year three for him and most of his players are players now that he has recruited. (That's why they were 15-18 this year). It is the job as college coach to recruit talent and this year it appears that Alford has recruited a great class. We will see how this upcoming class fares next year because if Alford has another season like this year he won't be back at UCLA.

As far as Fran is concerned, he didn't inherit the team that Alford inherited at UCLA when coming to Iowa. It is a little easier to recruit players to UCLA than Iowa. Fran has gotten Iowa on better footing athletically every year and his last two recruiting classes I believe are his best since coming to Iowa. We will see who has the better record next year and I doubt that it will be Alford even though Fran will be playing with players that he recruited from Iowa.

 

[regibson1]

It's not complicated to look up. Since Alford has been at UCLA, here is how the two coaches have recruited. Any questions? Yes, the 5 four star recruits and two 5 star recruits on last year's UCLA Sweet 16 team were recruited by Alford. Next year he brings in two more 5 stars. And that doesn't even count his son, who was unrated. If Fran's recruiting is really picking up lately, it sure doesn't show. He brought in SIX...yes SIX three stars last year and three more this year. Nice role players to round out a roster, but not next level talent.

Alford Fran
2013: one 5*, one 4* zero 4 or 5*
2014: one 5*, two 4* zero 4 or 5*
2015: two 4* zero 4 or 5*
2016: two 5*, one 4* one 4*

Who made it into the NCAA tournament this year with 3* talent? If Fran was at UCLA he wouldn't have been sitting home without either a NIT or NCAA bid.

 

[Titanhawk2]

It's not complicated to look up. Since Alford has been at UCLA, here is how the two coaches have recruited. Any questions? Yes, the 5 four star recruits and two 5 star recruits on last year's UCLA Sweet 16 team were recruited by Alford. Next year he brings in two more 5 stars. And that doesn't even count his son, who was unrated. If Fran's recruiting is really picking up lately, it sure doesn't show. He brought in SIX...yes SIX three stars last year and three more this year. Nice role players to round out a roster, but not next level talent.

Alford Fran
2013: one 5*, one 4* zero 4 or 5*
2014: one 5*, two 4* zero 4 or 5*
2015: two 4* zero 4 or 5*
2016: two 5*, one 4* one 4*

There are 114 5 and 4 star recruits in 2016 - Seven are from CA, Alford got 2 and this 3 star is also from CA. You can say "great job" on getting them or you can ask why did he only get two of them when the others went to Nevada, Oregon, Stanford. Fran doesn't have the luxury a bunch of 1 hour drive recruiting visits.

 

[grugreen]

Alford isn't giving that contract back as a sign of good faith. I think the heat out there on him is so hot its the only thing he can do, to not get fired. He prolly wants to at least make it thru next year just so Bryce can finish career there. Go check a few UCLA boards, they are ready to lynch the guy out there along with the AD for hiring him. They could still fire him now. Might be waiting to see interest from a few coaches that are out of the NCAA tourney now.

 

[iowalaw]

No offense, gugreen, but you are a little clueless. No coach who has made it to the sweet 16 for a school two of the last three years and who has TWO 5 star commits coming in next year is on the hot seat...regardless of what a few outspoken message board posters might say.

If Alford "had to" give back a $2.5 million year on his contract, why is this not done by every coach in the US who has a bad year? In the 30 years that I've been following college basketball, this has been done twice ever. By Bob Knight, and his pupil, Steve Alford. It is a classy move. Just like it would be classy for Fran to give back his salary for the month of February.

 

[regibson1]

No offense, gugreen, but you are a little clueless. No coach who has made it to the sweet 16 for a school two of the last three years and who has TWO 5 star commits coming in next year is on the hot seat...regardless of what a few outspoken message board posters might say.

If Alford "had to" give back a $2.5 million year on his contract, why is this not done by every coach in the US who has a bad year? In the 30 years that I've been following college basketball, this has been done twice ever. By Bob Knight, and his pupil, Steve Alford. It is a classy move. Just like it would be classy for Fran to give back his salary for the month of February.

Fran doesn't have anything to apologize about. He took an Iowa team that was expected to finish 9th in the league and had them finish in the top 5. He did this while playing a very difficult schedule early in the B10 season and beat MSU and Purdue twice within the first 7 games of the B10 season.

Iowa did have a difficult February just as MSU had a difficult January with both teams losing 4 games in that stretch. I don't think that Izzo will be giving back his salary for January as will Fran be giving back his salary for February. They did both get into the NCAA tournament unlike Alford at UCLA who couldn't even make it to the NIT.

When Bobby Knight gave back his $250,000 salary it was when he was at Texas Tech in 2003 and he had failed to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 16 years. He did however go to the NIT tournament that year and had a winning record of 22-13 for the year. Knight also won the NIT tournament in 2003 beating Georgia Tech.

 

[grugreen]

Not clueless Ia law. Stevie Wonderboy has a huge ego and this is simply a compromise to keep from getting axed. He was most likely going to get axed at Iowa and bolted for NM. Was Ia to NM a lateral move or step down? Depends who ya ask. If ya think that 2 sweet 16s and a good recruiting class is keeping him off the hot seat at UCLA you are clueless. Howland went to 3 FFs and won the pac 12 and got axed the next year. Lavin 3 sweet 16s and got axed. He can't quit and go to a lesser school like he did to iowa, so he is compromising. I'll give this year back if ya don't fire me and after next year when Bryce is done if they don't have a good season he will just resign. His ego is to big to get fired. He will do what ever it takes to keep that from happening.

 

[cidhawkeye]

Anyone who thinks Alford isn't on the hot seat shouldn't use the word 'clueless' unless it is prefaced with 'I am'

 

[grugreen]

Agree Sid

 

[Ronman]

I'm not an Alford fan by any stretch of imagination, but this move shows more class than I would have expected from the man. It may have been a PR move, but the bottom line is if he does get fired, that is one year the school won't have to compensate him for.