The UCLA basketball team has not started the 2023-24 season like they anticipated. The Bruins are currently 8-10 overall and 3-4 in Pac-12 play. They did show some promise in their most recent game against Arizona State. UCLA trailed by 15 points in the second half before coming back for the win. The Bruins still have a lot of work to do, but that was a good start.

In the midst of this ugly start to the season, there have been some rumblings about UCLA head coach Mick Cronin. Some people believe that he doesn't want to be the coach of the Bruins anymore, and that their poor play this season could be due to that. Cronin recently discussed those rumors, and he shut them down.

“I love UCLA, trust me,” Mick Cronin said, according to an article from The Los Angeles Times. “I want it to be my last job. No matter what anybody says — I’ve heard stuff — I’m the coach at freaking UCLA. Like, come on, man. … To [predecessor] Ben Howland and me, we’ve sat in John Wooden’s chair. Come on, man. So I don’t want that narrative out there.”

Cronin has enjoyed his team at UCLA and there have been some great seasons since he took over. He understands that this season isn't going well, but he is working on getting this team better.

“So we’ve been on a charmed ride,” Cronin continued. “Tough run this year, it is what it [is] … great kids on the team, I’m going to try to coach them hard and try to get them better. They have to improve. So for me, it’s about them. We’ll address the roster at the end of the season, but right now, it’s about them and trying to help them get better.”

It was clear that Cronin was upset about the narrative that he doesn't want to be there or that he doesn't care. He noted how much work he has put in with this team, but he also knows that he has to do more if he wants this year's team to be successful.

“Nobody has put in more effort than me on the Men of Westwood,” Cronin said about the team's big NIL collective. “But I’m not into effort; I’m into getting the job done. So I’ve got to work harder. But the people who have helped, I greatly appreciate them.”

Back in 2021, Cronin took the UCLA basketball team to the Final Four. He knows that a lot of people think differently, but he believes that he has accomplished a lot.

“I’ve accomplished enough,” Cronin said. “I know some people don’t think I have; I have. I’ve been coach of the year in many conferences, I’ve been to a Final Four, I’m a kid from the west side of Cincinnati whose dad was a high school coach. It’s about them, so I’ve got to help them keep getting better and if you do the right things, you get a chance to win.”

Who knows, maybe the comeback win against Arizona State will provide a spark for this team. Cronin has some big accomplishments in his career, but he certainly wants to accomplish more.