The UCLA Bruins had a five-game winning streak early in the season which included wins over Gonzaga and then-number one Kentucky, and at that point they looked like a really good team. The talent on the roster backed up that point, but once Pac 12 play started things went downhill in a hurry.
UCLA went 6-12 in conference and finished 15-17 overall this year, a record that program is not accustomed to. UCLA is expected to be in the hunt for a national championship every year, but this year the bottom fell out. Head coach Steve Alford realizes that this type of year is unacceptable for a program like UCLA, so he has decided to give his extension back.
Alford signed a one-year extension after the 2013-14 season for the 2020-2021 season, but now that is gone. This was Alford's third year at UCLA, and while it didn't go all that well, he had plenty of success in each of his first two seasons there, making the Sweet 16 both years. Alford gave that one year back to UCLA, but he plans to get it back by getting his team back to competing at a high level.
"At the end of the day, year three was clearly not up to UCLA standards," Alford wrote in a letter to fans and supporters. "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, as a coaching staff, we intend to earn that extension back."
Alford felt that giving back the extension was the right thing to do because he didn't earn it this year. Guerrero said that Alford doing this shows his commitment to the program and his commitment to excellence. He also added that he respects Alford for doing something that he believes is unprecedented.
Next season things should be much better for the Bruins, as they are expected to return the majority of their roster while also bringing in the fourth best recruiting class in the nation. Tony Parker will graduate, and they have a couple of guys that could think about entering the NBA Draft, but that is unlikely. The team is already plenty talented, but adding five-stars Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf to the mix next season should make for a very good team and one that is also fun to watch.
