As one of the school’s most prominent current NBA players, one would expect Lonzo Ball to have some opinions on UCLA’s coaching search, and that is the case.
Ball believes that former UCLA guard and ex-Phoenix Suns coach Earl Watson should be the school’s next permanent coach, citing his ties to the school and NBA experience.
Lonzo Ball on the UCLA coaching search. “I’d like to see Earl Watson get the job.”
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) January 2, 2019
Lonzo wasn’t directly asked about Earl, just about the coaching search. Said nice things about Steve Alford, but added that Watson is his preference now that the job is open. Cited that he’s an alumnus and has NBA experience.
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) January 2, 2019
Watson spent parts of three seasons as Phoenix coach, going 33-85. While he does have strong ties to the school, it might not be the track record of success that the fans might be seeking.
Watson was actually linked to the UCLA job about a year and a half ago when he was still coaching the Suns. There are no indications that he’s yet a candidate this time around, even though Ball wants him to be.
