Former NBA point guard and ex-Phoenix Suns head coach Earl Watson reportedly interviewed for the UCLA Bruins’ head coaching position, according to Jordan Schultz of ESPN.
Watson played his college basketball at UCLA.
Source: Former #UCLA star, 13-year NBA PG and NBA head coach Earl Watson interviewed for the Bruins’ HC position with the UCLA brass. Watson would bring w/him Larry Brown as a top assistant. Watson helped create Earl Watson Elite, which is now West Coast Elite. @WCEBball @UCLAMBB
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 31, 2019
UCLA fired Steve Alford back in December. Murry Bartow served as the interim head coach after Alford was fired.
Former Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg was linked to the Bruins job, but he took the Nebraska head coaching position on Saturday.
Earl Watson coached the Suns for 118 games and finished with a 33-85 record. However, he wasn't really given a fair shot in Phoenix, given that the roster was putrid outside of star shooting guard Devin Booker.
Because he played for UCLA, Watson should be able to recruit star high school players to come to the program since he knows the market well.
Watson, 39, played for the Seattle SuperSonics, Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers during his 13-year NBA career. He had career averages of 6.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 878 games.
UCLA went 17-16 this season and just 9-9 in the PAC-12. Those are results which are unacceptable for such a storied program. Whoever the next coach is has to get the school back to its winning ways.
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