Talks surrounding the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball job continuing to heat up, though one coach is distancing himself from the position.
On Sunday night, 247 Sports’ Evan Daniels reported that Tennessee’s Rick Barnes was a serious candidate for the position. Later in the evening, the Los Angeles Times’ Ben Bolch reported that Barnes and Oklahoma’s Lon Kruger are coaches of interest to UCLA. He says both interviewed for the job.
“I have not interviewed for the job at UCLA, nor have I had any contact with anyone from UCLA,” Kruger said in a statement.
Kruger is 66 and has been at Oklahoma since 2011. He has previously coached at UNLV, Illinois, Florida and Kansas State. Kruger makes about $3.2 million per year and has a nearly $4 million buyout.
