His brother, Dan, starred at Bethel College in basketball and baseball, and was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1988. When the balls in the air, are you blocking out? Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, March Madness updates: Oral Roberts makes history in upset over Florida, The actor, the hairstylist and the eye surgeon: Drugs and death in a Malibu beach house, Have guests in town? On December 22, 2014, during the 20142015 season, Cronin, 43, was diagnosed with an unruptured aneurysm detected when he underwent medical testing for unexplained headaches. But Cronin was busy tobogganing with Sammi, not dwelling on the loss to Louisville. Cronin said he doesn't want her to think that his commitment to her is based on the outcome of a game. Doctors told him that he'd face knee replacement surgery by the time he turned 30 if he tried. Like his peers in the profession, Cronin has a little crazy in him. It's the same place where he returned the favor and temporarily left his post at Murray State in 2005 to come home and care for her as she wrestled with multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer, in the final days of her life. Equipped with the knowledge about the game he'd gleaned from his father, however, Cronin climbed at an uncanny pace. [14] Cronin had to pick up the pieces from a depleted program after Huggins was asked to resign with no warning three months before the 2005 season, and a temporary coach was used for a season. He graduated from college here. "That's like my mentor. He was Cincinnati through and through, having grown up in the city playing basketball for his father, Harold "Hep" Cronin, and going to the University of Cincinnati. His father comes to practices here. That's all you can really ask for from a coach. Hep Cronin was the head basketball coach at Oak Hills High School from 1981 - 1986. He's Cincinnati's coach. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. He treated the gig as though he was leading North Carolina or Kansas. He then moved on to East Coast Supervisor then Midwest Supervisor before becoming a National Supervisor in 2004. It doesn't. He's been shown in the bleachers during UCLA's tournament games quite a bit. He starred in a local Catholic youth league that allowed teams to play zone only because they couldn't stop the young, shifty Cronin with man-to-man matchups. Leaving wasnt going to be easy. But he also realized it would never be enough time. Then hes asked what it will be like to see Mick leave Cincinnati. Once, when a referee tried to line up another tyke at the free-throw line, it scared him so much that he sprinted off the court. The team badly needed players to avoid embarrassment, let alone win, entering its second season in the Big East Conference. I said, No, Im not stopping. Thats a tough one, man, Dan said after a lengthy pause, his voice cracking. In recent years, he's fielded calls from schools that have offered multimillion-dollar contracts for supposedly greener pastures. The reunion wasnt planned, Hep Cronin milling about inside Mackey Arena after his son Micks UCLA team had rallied to win its NCAA tournament opener against Michigan State. Not only did his father coach basketball, he also was a teacher, a baseball scout for the Atlanta . Bolch is also the author of the recently released book 100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. A hometown head coach lives out his fantasy, princess and all, Sources: Ex-ND coach Brey to join Hawks staff, Miami PG Wong, ACC's POY, entering NBA draft, Highly touted guard Westry transfers to Syracuse, Guard Ashworth commits to transfer to Creighton, Louisville transfer Ellis joining Arkansas hoops, Pate signs with NBA's G League Ignite program, UConn guard Alleyne transfers to St. John's, Montana St. hires Point Loma's Logie as coach, UConn is No. Here are 22 essential L.A. spots for every tourist, Column: We cant afford another writers strike. Cronin joked that he inherited a golf team when he essentially succeeded Bob Huggins at Cincinnati in 2006 after the Bearcats spent one season under interim coach Andy Kennedy. Among his UC successes were five Bearcat recruits who went on to be NBA draft picks: Steve Logan, DerMarr Johnson, Pete Mickeal, Kenny Satterfield and Jason Maxiell. Hep Cronin understood. Cronin, a Cincinnati native and former University of Cincinnati coach, had not seen his father, Harold "Hep" Cronin, since the start of the pandemic. That's why they trust him when he tells them he's more interested in their quality of life than their ability to help him win games. He grew up along with two other siblings, a brother named Dan Cronin and sister Kelly Cronin. He earned his mettle in pickup games at rec centers and prep courts around town before a knee injury ended his playing career here. Cronin was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year in his first season with the Bruins in 201920. [10] Cronin compiled a 573 record in three seasons as JV coach, and as a varsity aide, Woodward claimed three city championships. Cronin has coached and served on the selection committee for the Adidas camp and spent four summers on the staff of the Five-Star Teaching Camp. They lost their last three regular-season games in a row and lost their game against Oregon State in the Pac-12 tournament. Another program had the gift of a multimillion-dollar TV deal, additional BCS money from a conference revenue-sharing deal and more national exposure than the Bearcats currently enjoy playing in the American Athletic Conference. It always amazed me that fans thought they were more upset about that than he was. [30] They defeated No. The TBS cameras repeatedly captured Heps reactions during UCLAs 86-80 victory over the Spartans. His brother and sister left the city for college before returning to plant deep roots, lured by the familiarity of what they had always known. Cronin isn't just the Bearcats' coach. He asked around and was informed that the man lived nearby. But Cronin was busy tobogganing with Sammi, not dwelling on the loss to Louisville. Due to the school having done little to no recruiting for nearly a year, Cronin was forced to scrounge for players. "Sammi was sitting there playing with the little blocks," Cronin's sister, Kelly, said. Winning does, though. "I think that's good for him, instead of sitting there and sulking about it," Hep Cronin said. In seconds, Cronin can switch from berating his players for allowing "Peyton Manning" passes to poking Kilpatrick about the time some guy named George "busted you in the lip last summer." Cronin took his first college coaching job as a video coordinator under Bob Huggins at the University of Cincinnati in 199697, and the following season was elevated to assistant coach, a post he held at UC until 2001. Bolch was once selected by NBA TVs The Starters as the Worst of the Week after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments. pic.twitter.com/9ILEhXStvH, - Mick Cronin (@CoachCroninUC) January 20, 2014. Bolch was once selected by NBA TVs The Starters as the Worst of the Week after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments. There's a half-eaten Chick-fil-A sandwich and a collection of fries on the table. It wasnt long before the fledgling coach realized how far ahead of his counterparts he already was thanks to his fathers influence. In 1988 he became a full-time Scout in charge of four states. The day Cronin's ex-wife, Darlene, left their former home in January 2008 with his little girl in tow, he nearly crumbled. Just Sammi. Mick and his older brother Dan once rolled Hot Wheels across the court at Heps game, forcing their dad to ask a referee to stop play as the Cronin boys heads popped up from beneath the bleachers. "He told me, 'I didn't enjoy Kentucky,'" Cronin said, "'I was so driven, I never stopped to enjoy it. Hep Cronin was a sure-handed shortstop for Cincinnati's baseball team in 1961 when he fouled a ball straight back toward fans on a hillside. "I still remember Rod Foster against Ohio State in 1980," said Cronin. Several bystanders escorted the man from the game. "I think that's good for him, instead of sitting there and sulking about it," Hep Cronin said. 1 in the 2023-24 men's Way-Too-Early Top 25, Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato. Hep said his son went into seclusion for a week. This is the fifth season that Cronin has won 19 or more games at Cincinnati. He once snuck into Louisville's Freedom Hall with his friends to watch John Wooden lead Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and UCLA to a win over Houston in the 1967 Final Four. His passing wizardry fooled defenders and his on-court savvy helped him get steals and take charges. He often intentionally left basketball battles in the backyard against his brother bruised and bloodied. His mother, Peggy, lived in a building that once sat on the university's new baseball fields. [3] Cronin's mother, Peggy, died of cancer in 2005. He can only highlight his desires and continue to win, something the Bearcats didn't do against Louisville last weekend. Prior to joining Cincinnati in 2006, he coached the Murray State Racers from 2003 to 2006. During his long career Cronin has scouted every facet of baseball from the Independent Leagues to the Major League. "When he was with me, he did a great job with film and studying the game and trying to learn and make himself better," Huggins said. , While teaching and coaching high school basketball, he began his scouting career in 1966 as an Associate Scout for the Cincinnati area under Paul Snider. This is the fifth season that Cronin has won 19 or more games at Cincinnati. In his first year, Cronin helped attract a top-10 ranked recruiting class.[9]. "I just never was going to let that happen, because I hear too many stories about these guys that get out of coaching to meet their kids," Cronin said. — -- CINCINNATI -- Preparations for UCF must wait while Mick Cronin's 7-year-old princess twirls around the suite on the University of Cincinnati's campus. "We're trying to win the national f-----g championship!" Cronin wanted to play, not coach. Cronin mimicked his fathers scouting style while sitting in the bleachers studying La Salles next opponent. "Somebody had enough gas in a car to get there," Cronin said. And he wasn't sure how his relationship with Sammi would evolve given the new terms of their interaction. A party of nine that also included Micks brother, Dan, celebrated after the game at a nearby steakhouse. He graduated from college here. After Hep Cronin retired from coaching, he was a mainstay around Cincinnati's program, watching his son's practices and games while being available to offer advice. So Mick's health scare hit him hard. When Cincinnati played the Bruins in December 2017 at Pauley Pavilion, Mick and Dan exchanged knowing smiles. "There was a lot of bumps, bruises, broken bones, blood," Mathis said. He started the first three games and came off the bench for the next eight while sorting out his shortcomings. Her bouncy, brown curls -- "I did that," the redheaded Cronin says about his daughter's hairstyle -- complements her piercing smile. But he always reflects on Pitino's words as he considers his future. The new coach is undergoing some adjustment of his own, noting that Sammis $40,000 yearly tuition at Campbell Hall in Studio City nearly doubles the $25,000 his parents paid for his childhood home. "I was nine years old." They'd start at La Salle, Withrow or Purcell high schools in the afternoon. Like his peers in the profession, Cronin has a little crazy in him. [15], Cronin is also the only UC coach to ever lead the Bearcats to a win over a higher seed in the NCAA tournament, when 6th-seeded Cincinnati defeated 3rd-seeded Florida State in 2012. This historical marker was erected in 2008 by Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame and the Goldklang Group. The Bearcats harass teams with a defensive furor that few can equal. That's why they trust him when he tells them he's more interested in their quality of life than their ability to help him win games. Although Cronin's teams struggled early in his UC career, he improved the school's win total each of his first five seasons. His first civics lesson? Age discrimination, How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Rainn Wilson, Elliott: Anze Kopitar ignites Kings to thrilling overtime win over Oilers in Game 1, Los Alamitos stays No. They were selected to open in the First Four of the NCAA tournament. He had been known for unearthing finds as an assistant coach, even if it meant telling bosses initially skeptical about their prospects that he would put his job on the line for them. When the balls being passed, are you jumping into position?. But the Rick Pitino and Bob Huggins disciple continues to say no -- a simple word with a layered explanation. Even though he grew up nearby, Cronin's journey toward this fairy tale was anything but. But the scrappiest matchups were held in Mathis' backyard. His mysterious suit guy -- he won't name him -- is here. Cronin snapped out of his funk after receiving a check-in text from Octavius Ellis, one of his former Cincinnati players. It was a devastating verdict. "He looked at me and said, 'I can't believe I'm not going to see her every day.' His first civics lesson? Cronin grew up on the west side of Cincinnati, the son of Peggy and Harold "Hep" Cronin. It had to drive him crazy. If they lose on a Saturday, Im probably not going to talk to him until Monday.. Mick routinely teases his father about being stuck in frigid Cincinnati during morning conversations while driving to work in Westwood. [9], Cronin became the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Louisville under Rick Pitino, beginning with the 200102 season. Their father was always on the move, schlepping from his job as a high school teacher to basketball practices as a coach to baseball games as a major league scout to the racetrack in the summers as a ticket-puncher. After the 200506 season, he was hired as Cincinnati's coach, replacing interim coach Andy Kennedy after the dismissal of Bob Huggins. Like, guys didnt know what to do if you changed defenses or if you pressed them. 29 related questions found. He's never changed on me. His first break came when Jim Leon, the Woodward coach, spotted him sitting in the stands at a game and invited him to join his staff, suggesting that he could get a college job after completing his degree. Micks success with the Bearcats, who went to nine consecutive NCAA tournaments under his guidance, afforded him a chance to move to the tonier east side of town. He's hard on you just because he wants what's best for you.". Watch out TG!!! Hep, who turns 80 in August, contracted the virus around Thanksgiving but said he didnt have a severe case and felt much better after an infusion of drugs. Come on, said Dan Hoard, the Bearcats longtime radio play-by-play announcer. Ellis had struggled with anger management after watching his mother be fatally stabbed. Then it was down the steps for the impromptu visit. "'You got to get a J.O.B. As a child growing up on the west side of the city, he used to follow around his father Harold "Hep" Cronin, a highly successful local high school coach with more than 400 career wins, around the gyms of Cincinnati. Aspect of the Ethereal. It's a rare situation that allows him to guide his alma mater, be a committed father and stay close to those he loves. There was footage of him pumping his fists while rising from his seat as the Bruins completed the comeback. His father, Harold "Hep" Cronin, is a legend on the high school circuit here. Cronin has long held great pride in the Queen City, the University of Cincinnati and the sport of basketball. He would always play devils advocate and stuff, Leon said, and I just thought, wow, this guys on his way.. You've got a chance to have a great run. He just bought a "big-time crib" here. [27], In 202021, UCLA finished their regular season with a 178 record, 136 in the Pac-12. It included an increase in salary for his staff, as well as an increase in the basketball program budget. It's one thing to lose a tough one on the road, another to come so close to victory in a sellout at home. But Cronin clearly has every reason to stay. Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame at Midway Stadium, 3. Postseason invitational champion He'd take trips to basketball camps in his old Cadillac. The Bearcats had become a constant in the NCAA tournament by then, though their stays usually were short. Cronin was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year. "[We] recognize that the basketball enterprise is extremely important to us, and we want to find a way to continue to escalate the commitment and the resources and the facilities that our coaches and student-athletes and fans can enjoy for the long term," said Mike Bohn, the school's new athletic director. Cronin is not convinced that upgrading his team's nonconference schedule is the sole ticket to drawing more fans each night. The Bearcats have reached the NCAA tournament in three consecutive seasons. But he also realized it would never be enough time. [22] At the time, the 47-year old Cronin had the most NCAA Division I wins (365) of any active coach younger than 50. That success has intrigued other programs in recent years. He can only highlight his desires and continue to win, something the Bearcats didn't do against Louisville last weekend. He was anticipating going to college on a basketball scholarship.". "It was tough," Hep said. He just bought a "big-time crib" here. Sixteen years after hearing his new coach speak for the first time, Chris Shumate remembers the directive. Winning does, though. Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History, Saint Anthony Park inSaint Paul in Ramsey County, Minnesota , Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., August 26, 2014, Harold "Hep" Cronin. 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