UCLA Basketball: Three former NBA coaches that can replace Steve Alford

The UCLA Basketball program decided to part ways with coach Steve Alford after the team dropped four games in a row heading into conference play.

The UCLA Basketball program is set for a change of pace after parting ways with coach Steve Alford prior to conference play. UCLA, who started the year 7-2, dropped four consecutive games which accelerated the process of firing Alford.

While one loss is excusable, against Ohio State, the other three losses were rather troublesome for the Bruins. Cincinnati manhandled UCLA, defeating them by 29 points, and the Bruins dropped two inexcusable losses to Belmont and Liberty.

Murry Bartow will serve as the intern coach for the time being but UCLA is undoubtedly looking at a new coach to bring in and change the culture in Westwood. We have all heard the different potential options, so we wanted to be different.

Here are three former NBA coaches that the Bruins could look to replace Alford next season.

1. Fred Hoiberg

• NBA experience: Chicago Bulls (2015-2018) 

Fred Hoiberg started 2018 as the coach of the Chicago Bulls and was quickly let go by the team after the Bulls started the year 5-19. Since Alford’s firing, Hoiberg has been one of the most prominent names discussed for the job with his experience coaching college basketball.

While Hoiberg was not great in the NBA, he had a successful run with Iowa State from 2010 to 2015 that got him the NBA gig in the first place. Iowa State won the Big-12 Tournament in Hoiberg’s last two years as a coach and made the Sweet Sixten for the first time since 2000.

Hoiberg is the textbook college coach that fails in the NBA and returns to the college game in a prominent role. While the Bruins are not the same UCLA basketball program of old, they still have a natural recruiting advantage being a big-name school, a situation in which Hoiberg can really thrive.