UCLA tried hard to bring in as big of a coaching name as possible to replace Steve Alford, even doing what they could to dangle mega money in front of top candidates. In fact, one report says they offered to double the salary for Jay Wright to get him to leave Villanova, but that didn’t help.
The Los Angeles Times’ Ben Bolch on Monday published a comprehensive look at UCLA’s search for a new head basketball coach. According to the article, the Bruins went after some of the most successful coaches in recent college basketball history, like John Calipari, Brad Stevens, Billy Donovan, Tom Izzo, Mark Few and Tony Bennett. Wright, who has won two championships in the last four years, was among their targets.
UCLA senior associate athletic director Josh Rebholz ran most of the hiring process and kept big donors updated on the progress. In one update, he told them through text message that they had made a big offer to Wright that mattered little.
“We would have loved for Jay Wright to walk out on the floor, but even when we offered to double his salary, he still wasn’t coming. Nothing we can do about that. But I am proud of our effort. We didn’t assume anything, took our shots and I believe will end up with a solid coach who will embrace UCLA and build a program we all can be proud of and root for.”
According to USA Today, Wright makes around $3.9 million a year. Doubling his salary would have put him just under John Calipari, who struck it rich by dangling UCLA’s offer in front of Kentucky.
The article details just how close the Bruins were to hiring Rick Barnes and also what the issues were with Jamie Dixon. UCLA ended up with Mick Cronin, who left Cincinnati and signed a six-year, $24.5-million contract with the Bruins.
