These things tend to happen when you own the Steve Alford All-American Inn, as Cox does. Steve Alford was abruptly dismissed from his coaching job at UCLA last December He'll leave campus with more than $4.4 million, a sum that includes the remaining percentage of his $2.6 million salary ($858,000) and the $3.6 million buyout UCLA is contractually obligated to pay him. [12] Their 2010-2011 season ended with an NIT loss to Alabama 74-67. ... And at the end of the day, if I know that I've prepared and worked hard, then that's what matters to me.". 50-year-old Tanya Lynn Alford and her husband recently made the move from Albuquerque to Los Angeles when her husband was … In 2005, Alford finally booted Pierce, who faced a slate of charges stemming from a violent incident with an ex-girlfriend. It was the first time in UCLA's history that they had been relegated to a First Four play-in game. That’s how long it took UCLA head coach Steve Alford, after one of the most memorable and controversial finishes in recent NCAA Tournament history, to bring it up. [13][19][20] The Bruins had rarely sought players who were not four- or five-star recruits,[19] while Bryce was rated a consensus three-star prospect. They won the first two rounds of the 2003 tournament against Valparaiso and Iowa State before losing to Georgia Tech, finishing with a 17–14 record. The elder Alford had picked up golf as a hobby during his brief NBA career. In 1994 and 1995 Manchester won conference titles, and in Alford's final three seasons the team competed in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Another son, Kory Alford, had a job as a video coordinator with the program. Following his time at Manchester, Alford was named the head coach at Southwest Missouri State University, now Missouri State University. 8-ranked team in America, UCLA. He told me about the great life he'd manufactured in Los Angeles. [44] A week later, Alford apologized for what he called an "unacceptable" season, and he returned a one-year contract extension he had received in 2014. "[1] That year Alford helped lead Indiana to an upset of the Michael Jordan-led North Carolina Tar Heels in the 1984 NCAA tournament. [8][13] He accepted the UCLA position just three days after he had signed a 10-year extension at New Mexico. Steve Alford has done many things to incite rage in the UCLA fan base since he has been the head coach at the University. Alford was the first player to be named the team's MVP four times. Steve Al-ford may have finally learned the importance of just being Steve Alford. And last year on a trip to China, three players -- including LiAngelo Ball, Lonzo's brother -- caused an international incident that warranted President Donald Trump's apparent intervention after they were accused of shoplifting. Dana Benbow joins Dan Dakich to talk about Steve Alford after her three part series in the Indy Star. Trouble is, the picture he paints of the case is not reality. [2] His team advanced to the state quarterfinal but lost to Connersville in the 1983 state tournament. In his senior year, the Alford-led 1986-87 Hoosiers won Indiana's fifth national championship, when the team defeated Syracuse in title game of the He's the only one who understood the challenges associated with his program, and anyone who doubted him could go to hell. Division regular season and conference tournament champion Meet Tanya Alford, the wife of former NBA player and current head coach of the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team, Steve Alford. They won a first round home game against Nebraska and lost on a last second buzzer beater on the road to Notre Dame. During his first season there Alford won four of 20 games. Alford averaged 10.3 points per game, was second in assists, and shot .644 from the field. Steve Alford is gone. Alford is also the first UCLA coach to never win a regular season conference title since Larry Brown, who coached UCLA for two seasons (1979-80 and 1980-81). [37] The Bruins went 1–1 in the 2015 Pac-12 Tournament,[38] but proved most major projections wrong by receiving an invitation to the 2015 NCAA tournament, earning a No. At the end of the season Coach Alford received a ten-year contract extension through the 2019–2020 season. [40] They benefitted from a controversial goaltending call and a favorable second-round matchup with No. Like many famous people and celebrities, Steve Alford keeps his personal life private. Since UCLA hired Steve Alford nearly two weeks ago, critics have come out in force against the hiring and Alford in general. [47] The team again struggled defensively. Twitter reacts:Former IU basketball star Steve Alford fired by UCLA. At the conclusion of the 2006–2007 season, Alford resigned from the University of Iowa to accept the coaching position at the University of New Mexico. He lacked self-awareness. But he never advanced past the Sweet 16, or finished higher than second place in the Pac-12. He and his teammates went on to win the gold medal at the 1984 games. [6] Initially the choice angered Indiana fans but ultimately they and even Alford embraced the decision. His stacked recruiting classes (three top-five squads from 2016 to 2018, per ESPN's class rankings) helped keep him afloat, too. Iowa failed to make the NCAA tournament or the NIT. More than three months after being fired by UCLA, Steve Alford has another job. That's exactly what he is. [51], National champion [9][10] However, Alford's reputation among Iowa fans suffered. As a sophomore Alford was named to the 1985 NIT Tournament All-Tournament team after the Hoosiers finished second behind UCLA. [58] It was the first time the program had made a coaching change in the middle of the season. ", "UCLA basketball vaults into top 25 after 4-0 start", "There's something in the air as ice-cold UCLA falls to Utah, 71-39", "UCLA basketball team confident history can repeat", "Alford, UCLA get lesson in life on NCAA Tournament bubble", "UCLA beats Southern California 85-74 to lock up No. "[9], Soon after his hiring, Alford filled his head assistant coaching staff position with good friend and former John Calipari assistant Ed Schilling. The Bruins were eliminated from the 2016 Pac-12 Tournament after a 95–71 loss to USC, losing three consecutive times in the same season to their crosstown rivals for the first time in 74 years. In the next season Manchester posted a record of 23–4, and in his fourth and final season his team finished 31–1. [5] Many fans in Indiana expected Alford to be drafted by the Indiana Pacers, but the Pacers selected Reggie Miller and Alford fell to the Dallas Mavericks. Everything you need to know about the NCAA's NIL debate, Men's college basketball rosters: Comings and goings for 2021-22 season, New-look Gophers add transfer Loewe from W&M, Jacob Groves joins brother as transfer to Sooners, UCLA fires Alford as coach following woeful start, Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato. During his final three seasons, Alford earned first team all-Big Ten honors. In this game Alford played alongside Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Sam Perkins, Chris Mullin and Wayman Tisdale. When I was a freshman, only Randy Wittman and Ted Kitchel, the seniors, were thrown out. Kory played for the elder Alford at New Mexico and transferred with him to UCLA, and is now head coach at Huntington University. Tyus Edney, who starred on UCLA's 1995 national championship team, continued as director of operations. I'm a man of God, so I've got an audience of one. "[1], Alford is considered one of the best free throw shooters in the history of the game. 21 in the preseason AP Poll,[52] and they started the season 4–0 to move up to No. [33] Losses included a 39-point defeat to No. And he's also not the first leader who decided to coach within his own world, one that seemed only to include his faith, his family and his boss -- and left little room for anyone else, including, apparently, UCLA. Conference regular season and conference tournament champion During the 2005–06 season, the Hawkeyes went undefeated at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and finished in a second-place tie with Illinois with an 11-5 conference record, one game behind Ohio State. UNM then went on to have a 10-4 conference regular season record and a share of the conference title with arch-rival San Diego State. [14][15] Alford had a 5-7 NCAA Tournament record,[16] and had only advanced his teams beyond the first weekend of the tournament once before, when he led his Cinderella squad from Southwest Missouri State to the Sweet 16 in 1999. He learned to count as a three-year-old by watching the numbers tick off the scoreboard in Monroe City, where his father, Sam Alford, coached the high school team. Once more details are available on who he is dating, we will update this section. last week was that after 13 seasons of nearly unwavering support, some Hoosier fans began questioning Knight's approach to the game. So here we go. Alford is not the first coach to lose a good job after falling short of expectations. They questioned his commitment to the storied program and its legacy. His three Sweet 16 … [17] At UCLA's introductory news conference, Alford was questioned about his handling of Pierce in Iowa, and he stated that he did "everything that [he] was told to do. Alford was drafted 26th in the 1987 NBA draft. The Bruins seemed confused in a zone. We will continue to update information on Steve Alford’s parents. 3 seed Lobos were upset by an underdog 14th-seeded Harvard team,[8] who won their first NCAA tournament game in school history. For the American politician, see. [47][48] It was also the first time in the school's four tournament appearances under Alford that they did not advance to the Sweet 16. He gushed about the golf courses that surrounded his home in Calabasas, a neighborhood that houses wealthy celebrities like the Kardashians and Justin Bieber. A plea bargain was reached where Pierce pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. Nevada hired former UCLA coach Steve Alford on Thursday, four days after Eric Musselman left for Arkansas. 2. So after the game, I asked Alford how he was handling criticism from the program's supporters. However, the Hawkeyes defeated Minnesota, Michigan State, and Ohio State to win the Big Ten Tournament and finish 25-8 going into its third NCAA Tournament under Alford. During his tenure, UCLA had 11 players selected in the NBA draft, including seven first-round picks. 6 SMU in the Round of 64 of the 2015 NCAA Tournament after his son, star point guard Bryce Alford, made a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final seconds. [1] According to commentators, Alford owed his success to repetition and work. But Steve Alford is a bad person. At 29-5 entering the tournament, New Mexico was an early favorite as a Final Four participant by several analysts and publications, but Alford and his No. During his four seasons with the team, Alford had a record of 78–29. Alford was known to practice shooting so much that he would wear out six or seven nets a summer and frequently forego social activities. To catch up on the Alford era, check out Steve Alford: A bitter departure from the Albuquerque Journal. The loss to Bo Ryan's University of Wisconsin-Platteville team marked the only title game in NCAA history matching two undefeated squads. Coaches trapped in the FBI's bribery investigation risked their careers to sign the brand of talent Alford welcomed to Westwood each year. I'm a family guy second. [1] In his workouts he would pick a spot on the floor and take ten shots. Steve was awarded a fourth Emmy here in Las Vegas for his station's live breaking news coverage of the 1 October shooting. That's fine. The team seemed poised to make a run in the MWC conference tournament, but a tragic ACL injury to Gary in the semi-finals against BYU proved to be too much to overcome for this young UNM squad. In the Legends of College Basketball by The Sporting News Alford was #35 on the list of the 100 greatest Division-I college basketball players. Had a coach who wasn't UCLA's first choice even earned the job off a strong run at New Mexico? He was small for a major-college guard, slow without any compensatory quickness and strong only because he ate and flexed himself up to 185 pounds from 150 as a freshman. They were seeded #3 in the Atlanta Regional of the 2006 NCAA Tournament, but lost in a first-round upset to #14 seed Northwestern State 64-63, leaving Alford with only one NCAA Tournament win since taking over at Iowa. Conference tournament champion. [34][35][36] UCLA closed out the regular season with three straight home wins to finish undefeated (9–0) at home in the conference for the first time since 2006–07. Once Steve Alford completed his opening monologue during his introductory press conference at UCLA nine days ago, it didn't take long for the … But Alford too often chose defensive, deflective responses to those who questioned him. [1] By his senior year in 1983, before the three-point line was even implemented, Alford averaged 37.7 points per game and earned the Indiana "Mr. Basketball" award. Author John Feinstein was granted unprecedented access to the Indiana basketball program and insights into Knight's coaching style. [42] The team missed the NCAA Tournament for just the third time in 10 years. On behalf of UCLA Athletics, I want to thank Steve, Tanya and the entire Alford family for their commitment to UCLA and wish them all of the best … Alford began his college coaching career in North Manchester, Indiana in 1991 as head coach of the Division III Manchester University's basketball program. The future of the program might be at stake. Bryce also played under Alford at UCLA, and ended his career as the school's career leader in three-pointers made. [1] When Alford was nine years old, he attended a basketball camp put on by Coach Bob Knight. Today, Steve Alford is the millionaire coach of the No. In 2016, he appeared calm in his spacious office months after a booster had flown a "Fire Alford!" The polarizing five-and-a-half year UCLA coach survived "Fire Alford!" The team advanced to the Division III championship game in 1995, placing second in the nation after suffering its first defeat in 32 games. He also coached Pierre Pierce, who was charged with the rape of a student-athlete during his time with the Hawkeyes. [24], After Anderson and LaVine left UCLA for the National Basketball Association (NBA), Bryce became the Bruins' starting point guard in 2014–15. “There is no better coach than Steve Alford to continue the rise of Nevada basketball and we are excited for the next chapter,” Knuth said. 14 seed Alabama Birmingham to advance to the Sweet 16,[13] when they lost again to Gonzaga. "[13], In 2018–19 in Alford's sixth year at UCLA,[50] he brought in a top-10 recruiting class which included 7-foot-1-inch (2.16 m) center Moses Brown. [1], As a high school freshman Alford barely averaged a point a game, but then averaged 18.7 the next season. "[1] Knight later admitted Alford was in fact an incredible worker and leader and the comments were just Knight's method of motivating players. Stephen Todd Alford (born November 23, 1964) is an American men's college basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach for the Nevada Wolf Pack of the Mountain West Conference (MWC). In 1999 Alford was also inducted into Manchester's Hall of Fame. [45], In 2017–18, UCLA opened its new practice facility, the Mo Ostin Basketball Center. During his first season there Alford won four of 20 games. Steve Alford’s mother’s name is unknown at this time and his father’s name is under review. [46] The Bruins finished one game out of first place in the Pac-12,[46] and UCLA advanced to its third Sweet 16 in four years as freshmen Lonzo Ball and T. J. In his first news conference at UCLA in 2013, Alford told reporters he'd done "everything I was supposed" to do. He was suspended from the team and redshirted. I was in Chicago for Alford's last significant loss on a national stage. During his second year (2000–01) the Hawkeyes went 23–12 in the regular season and 7–9 in the Big Ten Conference regular season, but they won the Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament with four straight wins against Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, and Indiana. His three Sweet 16 runs helped him hold his job amid perennial and public criticism from the program's key supporters. High School Basketball…A Hoosier Tradition. He's scored more than 2,400 points that way, and that's incredible, considering he doesn't get any tip-ins, drives or dunks. [49] Another banner was flown over campus, this time reading "Final Fours not First Fours #FireAlford. Alford was dismissed from UCLA on December 31, 2018, prior to the start of Pac-12 play. "[60], This article is about the basketball person. Alford's initial contract, proffered by Guerrero, included a $10.4 million buyout that made firing him more difficult in those tumultuous early seasons. [1] The Hoosiers went 21-8 that year and finished second in the Big Ten, with Alford earning All-America and Big Ten Player of the Year honors. He earned the MWC Coach of the Year Award for his team's performance. [13] UCLA qualified for the 2018 NCAA Tournament, but lost 65–58 to St. Bonaventure in the First Four for the Bonnies' first tournament win in 48 years. The book recounts how Knight once criticized Alford's work habits and leadership ability, telling him he couldn't "lead a whore into bed. [10] Pierce later served 11 months in a correctional facility.[11]. In the 2012-2013 season, with a vicious defensive team, Alford led his Lobo squad to a 26-5 regular season record, winning the Mountain West Regular Season conference title. 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