A History of UCLA Basketball Assistant Coaches and Program Success
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) boasts a storied men's basketball program, established in 1919 and known as the UCLA Bruins. With a record 11 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men's Division I Basketball Championships, the program's success is deeply intertwined with the contributions of its head coaches and their supporting staff, including assistant coaches. This article explores the history of the UCLA basketball program, focusing on the impact of head coaches and the often-overlooked but crucial role of assistant coaches in building and maintaining a championship-caliber team.
The Wooden Era: A Dynasty Built on Excellence
From 1948 to 1975, John Wooden, the "Wizard of Westwood," transformed UCLA basketball into a national powerhouse. Before his arrival, the Bruins had secured only two conference championships in the preceding 18 years. Wooden's impact was immediate. In his first season, he guided a team that had finished with a 12-13 record the previous year to a 22-7 record-then the most wins in a season in program history-and the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) Southern Division championship. In his second season, Wooden led the Bruins to a 24-7 record and the PCC championship. The Bruins would win the division title in each of the next two seasons and the conference title in the latter season.
Wooden's coaching philosophy emphasized discipline, teamwork, and fundamental skills. His assistant coaches played a vital role in implementing these principles, contributing to the team's unparalleled success. Jerry Norman, who coached under Wooden from 1957 to 1968, recalled the early days of booster involvement, highlighting the changing landscape of college basketball.
Wooden's influence extended far beyond wins and losses. He instilled values of sportsmanship and academic achievement in his players, creating a culture of excellence that defined the UCLA program for decades. His teams achieved remarkable milestones, including:
- 10 NCAA titles in 12 seasons (1964-1975), including seven consecutive (1967-1973).
- Four undefeated seasons (1964, 1967, 1972, 1973).
- An 88-game winning streak.
- 38 straight wins in NCAA Tournaments.
- 98 straight home game wins at Pauley Pavilion.
Wooden's accomplishments earned him numerous accolades, including NCAA College Basketball's "Coach of the Year" in 1964, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973. In 1967, he was named the Henry Iba Award USBWA College Basketball Coach of the Year. In 1972, he shared Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award with Billie Jean King.
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The Post-Wooden Years: Navigating Challenges and Change
Following Wooden's retirement in 1975, UCLA faced the challenge of maintaining its dominance. The four coaches that succeeded him resigned, and the following three-Harrick included-were fired. From 1975-76 to 2002-03, there were 28 seasons and 7 coaches, an average of 4 years per coach, highlighting the instability of the program during this period.
Gene Bartow (1975-1977) took over the program after Wooden's retirement, guiding them to a 52-9 record, including a berth in the 1976 Final Four. Gary Cunningham became the head coach at UCLA in 1977. Larry Brown then moved on to coach UCLA from 1979 to 1981, leading his freshman-dominated 1979-80 team to the NCAA title game before falling to Louisville, 59-54. However, that runner-up finish was later vacated by the NCAA after two players were found to be ineligible. Larry Farmer was the head coach of UCLA from 1981 to 1984, guiding them to a 61-23 (.726) record. In 1984, Walt Hazzard was named the UCLA basketball coach 20 years after he was an All-America when UCLA won its first national championship. He coached for four seasons, winning 77 out of 125 games. The 1984-1985 UCLA Bruin basketball team won the NIT championship.
Despite the challenges, UCLA continued to attract talented players and compete at a high level. Assistant coaches played a crucial role in recruiting, player development, and game strategy during this era.
The Harrick Era: A Return to Glory
In 1988, Jim Harrick returned to UCLA (he had spent two years as an assistant coach from 1978 to 1979) to assume head coaching duties after the firing of Walt Hazzard. During the recruiting period before his first season, he recruited Don MacLean, the most significant recruit to commit to UCLA in several years. McLean's arrival helped start a revival of the basketball program. During the 1994-1995 season, he led UCLA to a 32-1 record (a loss to California was subsequently forfeited to the Bruins) and the school's eleventh national championship, its first since the 1974-75 season. The 31 actual wins would stand as a school record until the 2005-06 season.
Harrick's success was built on a foundation of strong recruiting and a commitment to offensive basketball. His assistant coaches were instrumental in identifying and developing talent, as well as implementing the team's offensive schemes. The Bruins’ 1994-95 national championship team featured former guard and current assistant coach Tyus Edney, whose full-court sprint and layup in 4.8 seconds defeated Missouri at the buzzer in the second round NCAA tournament.
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However, Harrick's tenure was also marked by controversy. In 1996, Harrick's Bruins were upset in the first round by Princeton. Shortly before the 1997 season, UCLA fired Harrick for lying about who attended a recruiting dinner. Since Harrick charged the entire meal on his tab, Dollar and O’Bannon technically violated NCAA rules by receiving extra benefits. He chose to get fired, ending the most successful run of any UCLA coach since John Wooden. In a weird twist, current Golden State Warriors President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Bob Myers played for Harrick and was also present at the dinner as a student-athlete host. Despite Harrick’s success, his tenure was also marked by underachievement. What UCLA can learn from the Harrick era is that its men’s basketball coach should be honest and own up to their mistakes.
The Lavin and Howland Eras: Recruiting and Style
Later that season on February 11, 1997, with the Bruins tied for first place in the Pac-10 with an 8-3 record, UCLA removed the "interim" tag from Lavin's title and formally named him as its 11th head coach. The Bruins then won their next 11 games en route to the Pac-10 title, before being eliminated by the Minnesota Gophers in the NCAA Midwest Regional Final. In seven seasons as head coach Lavin's record was 12-4 in games involving overtime. Additionally Lavin's Bruins had a 10-4 record against the rival USC Trojans. During the period 1997-2002, Lavin's Bruins compiled nine consecutive overtime victories. These included victories over Arizona, Cincinnati (2002 NCAA second round double overtime victory over No. 1 West Region seed), Kentucky, and Stanford (then ranked No 1). At UCLA from 1996 to 2003, Lavin compiled a record of 145-78. As both an assistant and head coach, Lavin participated in 13 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances (1990-2002), while working at Purdue and UCLA. During Lavin's tenure as a head coach, he was one of only two coaches in the country to lead his team to five NCAA "Sweet 16s" in six years (1997, 1998, 2000-2002), the other coach being Duke's Mike Krzyzewski. Lavin signed seven McDonald's High School All-Americans. During Lavin's tenure as head coach, the Bruins qualified for six consecutive NCAA Tournaments (1997-2002). Lavin's record in the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament is 10-1. His winning percentage (90.9%) in the first two rounds is second only to Dean Smith in NCAA Tournament history. In seven seasons as head coach Lavin's record was 12-4 in games involving overtime. The Bruins defeated the No.
Lavin brought in future NBA talents such as Baron Davis, Matt Barnes, Dan Gadzuric and Jason Kapono. “Clearly not the success expected at UCLA, because there it has to be national championships and Final Fours or you’re out,” Lavin told the Orange County Register in 2011. At the very least, Lavin represents a worst-case scenario if UCLA accepts the path of least resistance in its search for a head coach. Without a doubt, he showed that the Bruins could recruit NBA-caliber talent.
Despite some success under the watch of Steve Lavin, the program wanted to regain its position in the college basketball upper echelon. Even the success in the NCAA tournament belied the fact that UCLA had earned no better than a number 4 seed with the exception of the 1997 season. The 2002-03 season turned out to be the back-breaker for Lavin as the Bruins stumbled to a 10-19 record and a 6-12 record in the conference. It was the first losing season for UCLA in over five decades. UCLA looked to find a coach that could move the Bruins back to the elite ranks of the Pac-10 and the country.
Ben Howland's success at the University of Pittsburgh and his southern California roots made him an attractive candidate. Howland remedied this disappointment in his recruiting efforts. Howland produced a top tier recruiting class from athletes in southern California that fit his Big East style. Starting the 2005-06 season with the majority of the roster made over in Howland's image and with the Lavin hold-overs (e.g., Ryan Hollins and Cedric Bozeman), the Bruins produced an excellent campaign. They finished the regular season 24-6, winning the Pac-10 Conference title. They then roared through the Pac-10 tournament, winning each game by double digits en route to only the second Pac-10 tournament championship in school history. The momentum continued into the NCAA tournament as the second-seeded Bruins defeated Gonzaga in the Sweet Sixteen. They then upset top-seeded Memphis to reach the school's first Final Four in 11 years. Howland continued his success at UCLA the following year. The Bruins finished undefeated at home for the first time in 22 years, winning the Pac-10 conference title. After a close second-round win over Indiana, Howland led the Bruins to a win over his former team, Pitt in the Sweet Sixteen.
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Just like any other UCLA coach over the past 50 years, Howland was able to reel in top talent to help the Bruins reach the next level. Howland’s downfall, however, was that he wasn’t an offensive coach. Shabazz Muhammad - one of the best recruits in UCLA history - came around during the twilight of the Howland era. Guerrero wanted fun, and Howland wasn’t that. There’s a similar sentiment on campus now - the talent has been here, but the coaching style has been too rigid and stale for the team to overachieve. But most importantly, Howland taught the Bruins that talent can overcome anything, as long as that talent is top-level. Recruit the best, and the success will come with them.
The Alford Era: Recruiting Prowess and Tournament Appearances
Soon after taking over, Alford began to build a strong reputation as a recruiter, eventually helping him pull in big-name recruits like Lonzo Ball, TJ Leaf, Kris Wilkes and Moses Brown. In each of his first two seasons, Alford took the Bruins to the Sweet 16, but failed to advance any further. UCLA started that season 13-0 and picked up what could have arguably been the best win of Steve Alford’s coaching career along the way. The then-No. 11 Bruins went into Rupp Arena and downed then-No. 1 Kentucky, catapulting UCLA to No. After trying to ride Aaron Holiday’s heroics to glory in 2017-2018, a First Four drubbing at the hands of St. Guerrero fired Steve Alford in December before the start of Pac-12 play.
Recent Developments and the Current Coaching Staff
At some point in the next few months, UCLA will have to make a decision that will shape the future of the program. The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program represents the University of California, Los Angeles, in the sport of men's basketball as a member of the Big Ten Conference.
The UCLA men’s basketball program has elevated Nate Georgeton to the role of assistant coach, while adding Nemanja Jovanovic and Brendyn Taylor as assistant coaches. The NCAA Division I Council voted in January 2023 to approve an increase of two basketball coaches who can participate in skill instruction, but may not recruit off campus. These changes became effective in men’s and women’s basketball on July 1, 2023.
Georgeton, who has spent the past four seasons at UCLA as the video coordinator and the program’s director of student-athlete development, has been elevated to the role of assistant coach. He replaces Ivo Simovic, who accepted an assistant coach position with the NBA’s Toronto Raptors this summer after spending the 2022-23 season at UCLA. Jovanovic and Taylor, both with college basketball backgrounds, are being added to the Bruins’ staff for the 2023-24 season.
Jovanovic, who primarily goes by Yogi, will serve as both assistant coach and Director of International Recruiting. “Nate is a 24/7 worker who has great communication skills and loves to coach and recruit,” said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach. “We need his youth, passion and drive on the recruiting front. He has earned this promotion and I believe in him. I am very excited to add Yogi to head up our international recruiting and help mentor our current roster of diverse backgrounds. He comes highly recommended by people who I trust and respect, including Ivo Simovic. Yogi worked with Larry Brown while on staff at SMU and we have crossed paths many times. He’s a perfect fit for our staff and style. Brendyn is an up-and-coming young coach from Los Angeles who grew up in a basketball family and loves to mentor young players. We are all about player development, on and off the court, and Brendyn will have a major impact as both a coach and role model for our young players in the program. We are excited to bring him back home to L.A.”
Georgeton has played a major role over the past four years in an array of video-related and scouting responsibilities on UCLA’s staff. He was hired as the Bruins’ video coordinator in the summer of 2019 and has expanded his role on the coaching staff to include managing recruiting databases and schedules, breakdowns of practice and game film and scouting edits. Over the past four seasons, UCLA has compiled a 99-36 overall record and a 58-19 mark in Pac-12 Conference play. In addition to a Final Four appearance in 2021 and back-to-back Sweet 16 trips in 2022 and 2023, UCLA’s program has produced four NBA Draft selections in the past two seasons.
Jovanovic brings a collegiate and international coaching pedigree to Westwood. His primarily responsibilities at UCLA will include overseeing the Bruins’ international recruiting efforts and assisting with player development. Hailing from Serbia, his college basketball experience has included stops at UT Arlington, DePaul and SMU. He most recently served as the Assistant to the Head Coach at the University of Texas Arlington in 2023-24. Jovanovic spent the 2022-23 season in a similar capacity at DePaul, and he served in a player development and special assistant role at SMU for seven seasons (2015-16 through 2021-22).
Taylor spent the past two seasons as a graduate assistant on the staff at St. John’s in New York. In his role on UCLA’s coaching staff, he will assist with player development and scouting and oversee a mentoring program for the Bruins’ freshmen. Taylor earned his undergraduate degree in three years from USC (2013-15), playing on the men’s basketball team before moving on to Santa Clara in 2015 as a graduate transfer. He concluded his college career at Bushnell College in Eugene, Ore., during the 2016-17 season.
J.D. Morgan and Program's Administration
In the early 1960s, with the UCLA athletics budget running in the red, Chancellor Franklin D. Murphy looked to J.D. On Feb. 8, 1963, when Murphy announced his selection of Morgan to succeed the retiring Wilbur Johns ’25, restoring financial stability to the program was at the forefront of his mind. As associate business manager, Morgan was instrumental in arranging the financing for several major campus building projects, including Ackerman Student Union and the four high-rise residence halls.
Under Morgan’s direction, UCLA won an unprecedented 30 NCAA championships - 10 in basketball, seven in volleyball, six in tennis, four in track and field, and three in water polo - more than any other university during that same period. Morgan’s success was fueled by his intense competitive nature and fierce Bruin loyalty. A career Bruin, Morgan came to UCLA in the late 1930s and was a four-year letterman on the men’s tennis team, serving as team captain in 1941. Following graduation from the UCLA School of Business Administration, he commanded a Navy torpedo boat in the South Pacific during World War II before returning to his alma mater in 1946 to accept a position in UCLA’s accounting office and simultaneously serve as assistant tennis coach under William C. Following Ackerman’s retirement in 1949, Morgan was anointed head coach of the men’s tennis team and went on to mentor Bruin tennis legends Arthur Ashe ’66 and Charles Pasarell, among others. In 1979, after 33 years at UCLA, Morgan was forced to announce his retirement due to rapidly failing health.
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