After UCLA's 15-point home loss to Liberty on Saturday, it became a question of when, not if, for coach Steve Alford.
And that "when" came in the overnight hours between Sunday night and Monday morning, when UCLA decided to part ways with Alford after five and a half seasons in charge.
Alford's UCLA tenure wasn't devoid of success, as he led the Bruins to three Sweet 16 appearances. But the fan base had consistently been at odds with Alford, flying banners over campus calling for his firing twice in the past three years, and the boosters had grown increasingly unhappy. A four-game losing streak capped by the 15-point home loss to Liberty was the final straw.
UCLA is ready to start fresh, though, and while it likely won't make a hire for at least a few months, it's time to look at what's next in Westwood.
Job description
UCLA essentially sells itself. It's one of the most storied and successful programs in college basketball history, with 11 national championships and a host of other NCAA records under its belt. While still considered a blue blood, the Bruins simply haven't been on the same level as Duke, North Carolina, Kansas and Kentucky in recent years. They haven't been past the Sweet 16 since 2008, and the fan base has seemingly grown apathetic at times.
The expectations are still high. Ben Howland was fired the same month he led UCLA to a Pac-12 title and NCAA tournament appearance -- and he also led the Bruins to three Final Four appearances. Alford went to three Sweet 16s and reached the NCAA tournament in four of his five full seasons at the helm. UCLA will also have to raise its budget for the right candidate. Alford was making $2.6 million per year, which barely ranked in the top 25 among coaches in the NCAA tournament last season.
There are obviously plenty of pros to the job: It's still considered one of the best in the country, and a new basketball practice facility opened in the fall of 2017. Southern California is filled with both elite high school talent and some of the country's best grassroots programs. And while USC has made plenty of inroads in that regard, there's enough talent to share.
Home run hires
Billy Donovan, Oklahoma City Thunder: Since he moved from Florida to the NBA, there have always been whispers that Donovan would return to college for the right job. UCLA would probably fit that criteria, but the timing might not be right. Oklahoma City just picked up the option for the final year of his original five-year contract, meaning he's now signed through the end of next season. He would be the dream hire for fans and boosters alike, given his two national titles in Gainesville, but it might not be realistic right now.
Tony Bennett, Virginia Cavaliers: Despite becoming the first coach to lose in the first round as a 1-seed last March, Bennett is obviously still regarded as one of the best coaches in college basketball. He has guided the Cavaliers to at least 29 wins in four of the past five seasons, earning a 1-seed in the NCAA tournament three times. That said, he seems very content in Charlottesville and the culture there fits him perfectly. Would he trade that for the high-pressure environment of UCLA?
Next calls
Fred Hoiberg: Hoiberg became a viable candidate after the Chicago Bulls parted ways with him in early December, and multiple sources have told ESPN he would return to college immediately if the right offer comes his way. He could also decide to sit the year out. His NBA experience and free-flowing offense are certainly attractive, but he built up Iowa State through mostly transfers and under-the-radar guys; it's harder to do that at UCLA. It's worth noting that Hoiberg is a client of Casey Wasserman's agency; Wasserman is among UCLA's biggest boosters and helped hire Chip Kelly.
Jamie Dixon, TCU Horned Frogs: Dixon's name has generated significant buzz over the past few weeks. He's a North Hollywood native and is very close with Howland; whether that's a good or bad thing for UCLA's prospects of landing him remains unclear. Dixon simply wins games. He reached the NCAA tournament in 11 of 13 seasons at Pittsburgh and is on his way to his second berth in three years at TCU. He might not have the personality of a Donovan, but he turned things around quickly with the Horned Frogs and has a stellar reputation. TCU does pay him $3.2 million per year, meaning UCLA would need to offer a raise to pluck him away from his alma mater.
Others
Earl Watson: This might have been more likely a few years ago, as Watson has been connected with this job several times. He played at UCLA from 1997 to 2001, then spent 13 years playing in the NBA. After a couple of years as an assistant coach, Watson spent parts of three seasons in charge of the Phoenix Suns -- but was fired three games into the 2017-18 season with a 33-85 record. He has had strong ties to the grassroots scene.
Eric Musselman, Nevada: He undoubtedly would jump at the UCLA job, but where he falls on the Bruins' list remains unclear. Musselman has done a terrific job with the Wolf Pack, leading them to back-to-back NCAA tournaments and a Sweet 16 appearance last season. Nevada is currently sitting among the top 10 nationally at 13-0. Like Hoiberg, Musselman has done it mostly via the transfer market, but he did land McDonald's All American Jordan Brown in the 2018 class. He will be a hot candidate for a number of openings this spring.
Mike Brey, Notre Dame: One of the more underrated coaches in the country, Brey has never seemed anxious to make a move despite being in South Bend since 2000. He even turned down a chance to potentially replace Gary Williams in his home state of Maryland back in 2011. Brey has been to the Elite Eight twice in the past four seasons but could also be primed to miss his second straight NCAA tournament this season. There's an Under Armour connection here, too.
Gregg Marshall, Wichita State: A few years ago, this might have been considered a no-brainer call to make. Marshall led the Shockers to a Final Four appearance in 2013 and a 35-1 record the next season. They've struggled somewhat since moving to the American, though, and could be poised to miss their first NCAA tournament since 2011.
Kevin Keatts, NC State: One of the hottest names in coaching right now, Keatts was the coach at Hargrave Military Academy as recently as 2011. But he engineered a turnaround at UNC Wilmington, leading the Seahawks to two straight NCAA tournaments and at least a share of three straight conference titles. And now he's got NC State in the Top 25 after helping lead the Wolfpack to the NCAA tournament last season. Keatts plays up-tempo, he's got energy -- but he has also essentially spent his entire career on the East Coast.
Chris Beard, Texas Tech: Beard has it rolling at Texas Tech right now, as the Red Raiders made a run to the Elite Eight last season and are again nationally ranked. They also looked impressive in a nationally televised loss to Duke a couple of weeks ago. Beard has won everywhere he's been, from junior college to Division II McMurry and Angelo State to Little Rock. However, he fits perfectly at Texas Tech and is likely more comfortable there than the West Coast.
Recommendation
Fred Hoiberg: He's going to return to college in the next couple of cycles, and his NBA-style offense would be attractive to the fan base. However, he would have to hire a very good staff to be able to recruit out west.
Prediction
Jamie Dixon: This has been picking up momentum for a few weeks now, and it makes sense. At the end of the day, we think UCLA would pony up and offer him a raise, and Dixon would accept. A Hollywood native coming home.