BY MIKE O’NEILL

UCLA fired head coach Steve Alford in late December after a 7-6 start to the season and a largely tumultuous six year stint in Westwood. Clearly Alford wasn’t a great fit and deserved to be let go, and his replacement will determine whether or not the Bruins can return to the elite level they have been at for much of its history.

A few things to remember regarding the UCLA job:

1.) It is not just an attractive job, but a great one. Is it a top 5 job? No. Is it a top 10 job? Maybe not, but its pretty damn close. While it might not have the appeal it once had, UCLA is still basketball royalty, and whoever comes in will have an opportunity to become a savior for college basketball’s biggest brand.

2.) High profile coaches aren’t leaving to come to UCLA. Despite all of the positives, UCLA can have limited patience and unrealistic expectations when it comes to their basketball program. Ben Howland was fired after reaching three consecutive Final Fours with the Bruins, and elite coaches have too much to lose coming to a situation like that.

3.) UCLA is unique in the sense that it requires more than just X’s and O’s from their head coach. The next head coach will need a dynamic personality to match the city of Los Angeles, and a modern, offensive-minded approach would certainly help.

With that being said, here are the 20 names that have been brought up as possible candidates for the job:

The Favorites

Fred Hoiberg: At this point it seems like this is Hoiberg’s job to lose. The former Chicago Bulls and Iowa State head coach, 46, is a proven commodity as a college head coach. At Iowa State, he led his alma mater to 4 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and two Big-12 titles. Additionally, Hoiberg played 10 seasons in the NBA and is widely respected in NBA circles. The question remains whether Hoiberg will choose the Bruins over a potential NBA coaching or front office position.

Eric Musselman: The Nevada head coach would certainly inject the UCLA program with the enthusiasm and swagger it was so desperately lacking during the Alford years. On the heels of an elite eight run in last year’s tournament, Musselman has the Wolfpack sitting at No. 10 in the polls and poised to make another deep run in March. However, this is the first time he’s had sustained success at the college or NBA level, and he has yet to prove that he can recruit players out of high school. Musselman is also plagued by a DUI arrest in 2006, and apparently isn’t as appealing to UCLA as the public might think.

Earl Watson: Watson is the only former Bruin on this list giving him a distinct advantage over everyone else. He has emerged as the coach of choice for prominent UCLA former players including Baron Davis and Lonzo Ball. He played in the NBA for over a decade and should be able to recruit at an elite level. The problem is we have no fucking clue whether the guy can coach or not. He was only an assistant for two years before a one year stint as head coach of the Phoenix Suns in 2017. UCLA will be able to recruit with or without Watson at the helm, and hiring an inexperienced coach like him could be a colossal mistake.

The Second Tier

Jamie Dixon: If he is willing to leave his alma mater, the Bruins should select the TCU head coach to lead their program. Jamie Dixon is the most underrated coach in college basketball, and he has been to twelve NCAA tournaments during his time at Pitt and TCU.  He’s a North Hollywood native, and has the personality and bona fides to be the head man in Westwood. Its unclear whether he would leave his situation at TCU where he makes over $3 Million per year, but UCLA should make him their top priority and present him with an offer he can’t refuse.

Chris Beard: Beard is a really good coach and has done an incredible job at Texas Tech, leading them to an elite eight last year and a current top 10 ranking. The problem is that, even as an assistant, Beard has never worked at a big time program or even in a major city. His personality may be better suited for Lubbock than LA.

Gregg Marshall: Marshall’s best days at Wichita State are behind him and his stock has cooled significantly over the past few years. Similar to Alford, Marshall lacks the charisma and profile necessary to click with the Bruin fan base.

Current Pac-12 Head Coaches

Bobby Hurley: This would be a sexy hire, but the Arizona State coach doesn’t have the temperament or experience for a high profile job like UCLA.

Mike Hopkins: A Southern California native, Washington head coach Mike Hopkins would be a very attractive candidate. But Hopkins has a very good setup in Seattle, and has proven to be very loyal during his career. He’s not going to bolt for an in-conference rival after just one season.

Wishful Thinking

Jay Wright: Wright is the dream candidate for UCLA. His exciting guard-driven offenses and flashy suits would be a perfect fit in Westwood, but it just isn’t gonna happen. Wright has enjoyed incredible success at Villanova, and has no reason to be looking elsewhere. He also won’t be wooed by the UCLA brand as he has continuously turned down big time jobs at the pro and college levels during his time at ‘Nova.

Tony Bennett: No chance. Bennett won’t leave Virginia until he has conquered his NCAA Tournament demons, and once he does he will have the choice of any job in the country for years to come.

Mark Few: If Few is ever gonna leave Gonzaga this is probably the job, but I’d be shocked if he even entertains the idea of leaving Spokane.

Mike Brey: Would make a ton of sense for both sides, but everyone seems to agree that Brey isn’t leaving Notre Dame anytime soon.

NBA Guys

Luke Walton: Walton would be awesome at UCLA, but he’s got a good gig with the Lakers right now. Even if the Lakers situation sours, most people believe he is much more interested in the pro game.

Billy Donovan: Unbelievable coach, but he’s not going to leave a great situation with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the UCLA job. If he ever returns to the college game it will be for the head coaching job at Kentucky or North Carolina.

Doc Rivers: Rivers could be an interesting candidate in the unlikely event that the Clippers continue to slide and Steve Ballmer decides to make a change. Rivers has been in Los Angeles since 2013, and could be intrigued at the fact that he wouldn’t have to relocate. However, Rivers has never coached at the college level and probably has plenty of time left in the NBA.

Longshots/Head Scratchers

Chris Collins: Collins is at Northwestern for the long haul. Even if he was interested in leaving, he’s only made one NCAA Tournament and hasn’t done anything to prove he’s worthy of consideration for a job like UCLA. Whoever pinned him as a potential candidate is an idiot.

Mick Cronin: Too intense. Too annoying. Way too short.

Buzz Williams: Good coach, but bad fit. Buzz has been a proven winner at Marquette and Virginia Tech, and has coached NBA players like Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder; but Blacksburg, Virginia is a long way away from the bright lights of Hollywood. Most importantly, is Buzz Williams fat? I really can’t tell. More people should be talking about this.

Kelvin Sampson: Sampson has done a nice job at Houston and has been able to win at multiple schools over multiple decades, but he’s not a great fit and at 63 years old he’s probably a bit too old. UCLA would have to miss on a lot of candidates for Sampson to get even close to the conversation.

Wildcard

Rick Pitino: It’s not gonna happen, but his name has come up enough to deserve mentioning. He’s one of the biggest scumbags in the sport, but he would kill it in Westwood and plays a style that would be very attractive to Bruin fans. Only problem is the escorts in LA are probably bit more expensive than they are in Louisville.

My prediction

Former Iowa State and Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg or former Phoenix Suns head coach Earl Watson

My recommendation

TCU head coach Jamie Dixon