He was still in his mid-20s when Huggins hired him to be Cincinnati's video coordinator before he became a full-time assistant for the program in the late 1990s. The fan experience in a region that features the Bengals, Reds and an assortment of Division I football and basketball programs is significant. By seasons end, his defense was no longer lacking; he won the team award for most deflections, receiving a plaque his mother still has somewhere in her home. He flourished, he grew up, Cronin said. It's one thing to lose a tough one on the road, another to come so close to victory in a sellout at home. "That was my life. He's never changed on me. He would be over there taking notes and Im sitting there eating M&Ms, laughing and cutting up and seeing what girl I could go talk to, said Dan, the starting point guard whom Mick backed up through his sophomore season. Cronin never raised his voice or stomped his feet as he directed his squad in the intense defensive drills -- three players clunked their heads during one hectic scramble for a loose ball -- that condition a program rated fifth in adjusted defensive efficiency, per Ken Pomeroy. Cronins hopes of playing in college ended with a gruesome knee injury he suffered as a junior. "That was his only sport," said Hep Cronin, who coached his son at La Salle and was inducted into the Greater Cincinnati Hall of Fame last year. Im seeing my son, Hep recalled Friday during a telephone interview with The Times. He then moved on to East Coast Supervisor then Midwest Supervisor before becoming a National Supervisor in 2004. "She called it the 'J.O.B.' He's never changed on me. That's all you can really ask for from a coach. Youre going to play hard and youre going to play defense, or you wont play. He'd take trips to basketball camps in his old Cadillac. But Hep was there in the stands at Purdue's Mackey Arena, cheering on each of. This is the fifth season that Cronin has won 19 or more games at Cincinnati. He's someone I actually look up to.". [25] The Bruins earned a No. The Bearcats had become a constant in the NCAA tournament by then, though their stays usually were short. Leaving wasnt going to be easy. Hep, a legendary high school coach, sits behind the UC bench home or away. "That's never going to be me. Sammi goes home with him even after tough losses. Mick was one of three children along with brother, Dan, and sister, Kelly. One misstep in a high school game during his junior season at La Salle ruined ligaments and any dreams of playing high-major college basketball. The circumstances of the split, however, taught Cronin to value every second he now has with Sammi. Even though he grew up nearby, Cronin's journey toward this fairy tale was anything but. Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. I said, Youre making a mistake, Im going to be a head college basketball coach, Cronin, 47, said with a hearty laugh, one leg draped over the side of a leather chair inside his UCLA office. It always amazed me that fans thought they were more upset about that than he was. Cronin became a part-time Scout for three state areas in 1980 and scouted and signed several . . Cronin grew up on the west side of Cincinnati, the son of Peggy and Harold "Hep" Cronin. "The rest of them have bad seats. "'You got to get a J.O.B. Thats a tough one, man, Dan said after a lengthy pause, his voice cracking. While he was completing his undergraduate work at the University of Cincinnati, he served as an assistant varsity coach and . A new or renovated facility would help. He earned his mettle in pickup games at rec centers and prep courts around town before a knee injury ended his playing career here. The day Cronin's ex-wife, Darlene, left their former home in January 2008 with his little girl in tow, he nearly crumbled. Ohio to parents Peggy Cronin and Harold "Hep" Cronin. 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. I said, No, Im not stopping. "'You got to get a J.O.B. Some breakdown, some lapse. His sister sits behind the bench on game days here. During Thursday's game, the TBS broadcast team featured Hep often in the stands at Mackey Arena, sporting his UCLA shirt and sweating out every possession of a tight game like one would . "He's someone that cares about you," Kilpatrick said. The Bearcats lost a crucial home game on a last-second shot by Russ Smith on Saturday. He knocked on the door of the residence and was greeted by a young woman. Enjoy it.'". His mother, Peggy, lived in a building that once sat on the university's new baseball fields. Mick Cronin's dad (and biggest fan) is Harold "Hep" Cronin. Since he couldnt prevail in the games on a sloped court with a wooden backboard, he would make Dan beat him up just to expend the energy. He was still in his mid-20s when Huggins hired him to be Cincinnati's video coordinator before he became a full-time assistant for the program in the late 1990s. He had to walk out of the room because he was getting choked up and he didn't want to cry in front of her.". Dear sister to James and Sue Smith and Kathy and Bill. Cronin's father, longtime Cincinnati high school coach and baseball scout Harold "Hep" Cronin, was on hand at the press conference. 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. 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. 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." His knee swelled up to twice its normal size every time he played. Cronin has tried to erect a wall between father and coach. Consequently, Cronin won't let the Bruins, who reached the Final Four a year ago, take the Zips for granted. The day Cronin's ex-wife, Darlene, left their former home in January 2008 with his little girl in tow, he nearly crumbled. And he wants to build a perennial powerhouse, too. It's President's Day, so Cronin's daughter, Sammi, joins her daddy at work and converts his office into her personal playground. 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. The hardwood and asphalt around Cincinnati are stained by Cronin's blood, sweat and tears. "You gotta move on.". Enjoy it.'". You've got a chance to have a great run. I explain to him the suns already coming up over the Santa Monica Mountains so Ive got to put my sunglasses on, Mick said. But the scrappiest matchups were held in Mathis' backyard. In the spring of 1996, Cronin coached the East team in the Magic Johnson Roundball Classic. The opportunities haven't been worth the risk of squandering the contentment he's found in his hometown. I can only imagine how difficult the Nevada loss was to him.. He also felt it was a place where his teenage daughter, Sammi, could thrive. [3] Hep Cronin was a high school coach with more than 400 career wins in Cincinnati. That was it. Fifth Third Arena's average attendance of 9,253 (capacity 13,176) was 48th nationally last year. "Bye-bye," she tells the smitten gawkers as she walks down the hallway. That was my whole life.". Postseason invitational champion He graduated and went on to play professionally overseas. Even though he grew up nearby, Cronin's journey toward this fairy tale was anything but. Im house hunting out here and its, oh my gosh, Cronin said. Cronin became a part-time Scout for three state areas in 1980 and scouted and signed several Major League players including Rookie of the Year David Justice in 1988. Conference regular season and conference tournament champion Cronin and an assistant contacted Evans every time they were allowed to under NCAA rules, sustaining their pursuit until he signed a letter of intent. "I think that's good for him, instead of sitting there and sulking about it," Hep Cronin said. Mick Cronin also spent two years under Pitino at Louisville before taking the top job at Murray State. [20] Cronin said, "This building is about our future and is a testament to the commitment our university and donors have toward our programs. Cronin snapped out of his funk after receiving a check-in text from Octavius Ellis, one of his former Cincinnati players. Not Hollywood, not L.A., not the country, At 19, he won a local school board seat. The Golden State Warriors drafted him in the first round last year after he helped Cincinnati go 83-22 during his three college seasons. It would all lead somewhere, he thought. There was footage of him pumping his fists while rising from his seat as the Bruins completed the comeback. Vaccaro never imagined that the young high school assistant whose boundless energy made him seem like a little puppy dog might one day take over at UCLA. Cronin is not constructing this vision on foreign land. Mick loved the California lifestyle, the UCLA tradition and the local horseracing scene. There's a half-eaten Chick-fil-A sandwich and a collection of fries on the table. — -- 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. "There was a lot going on in that backyard because we had kids from three towns over coming to play games in the backyard. "Somebody had enough gas in a car to get there," Cronin said. [42] Cronin's father, Hep, who lives with Mick's sister, Kelly, attends Bearcats games, frequently attends their practices and sometimes travels with the team. Cronin has led his teams to at least 20 victories in 12 of the past 13 seasons (UCLA's 19-win season in 2019-20 was abruptly abbreviated with the outbreak of COVID-19). He graduated from college here. It is in Saint Anthony Park in Saint Paul in Ramsey County Minnesota, 2. But he also realized it would never be enough time. Conference regular season champion 2 seed and a first-round bye in the Pac-12 tournament. I told him, Get ready, Im going to stalk you, Cronin recalled. Hep, a retired high school basketball coach who has served as Micks lifelong mentor, speaks with his son four or five times a week, sometimes twice in a day and sometimes none. He graduated from AUTONOMOUS NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MEXICO / FACULTY OF MEDICINE in 1975. But the Rick Pitino and Bob Huggins disciple continues to say no -- a simple word with a layered explanation. Then hes asked what it will be like to see Mick leave Cincinnati. Division regular season and conference tournament champion It is.. "[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. His office accepts new patients and telehealth appointments. [3] Cronin's mother, Peggy, died of cancer in 2005. In March 2017, the University of Cincinnati began an $87million renovation which was completed in the fall of 2018. After the 200506 season, he was hired as Cincinnati's coach, replacing interim coach Andy Kennedy after the dismissal of Bob Huggins. Hep Cronin, a successful high school coach, gained national attention during UCLA's unexpected run to the 2021 Final Four as he was reunited with his son at the NCAA tournament following a . "He told me, 'I didn't enjoy Kentucky,'" Cronin said, "'I was so driven, I never stopped to enjoy it. [9] He was married to Darlene Taylor until they divorced in 2009. Cronin wanted to play, not coach. He'd have left already if money -- "I'm making more money than I ever thought I'd make, anyway" -- mattered that much. But Cronin is deliberate about prioritizing his relationship with his daughter. So Mick's health scare hit him hard. 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. Roger Bacon High School. Aspect of the Ethereal. Cronin hates to think how much he might have to plunk down for his new residence. Mick was so sure of his destiny that he wrote it inside his notebook: head college basketball coach. Evans eventually fulfilled his coachs prediction. On Sunday, Cronin's father called to check on him. And he wants to build a perennial powerhouse, too. Hep Cronin, left, speaks with his son, UCLA basketball coach Mick Cronin, at Micks home in Cincinnati. He was director of the 1994 Pittsburgh high school Roundball Classic national all-star game. "He told me, 'I didn't enjoy Kentucky,'" Cronin said, "'I was so driven, I never stopped to enjoy it. 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. "There was a lot of bumps, bruises, broken bones, blood," Mathis said. 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. Hep, a retired high school basketball coach who has served as Mick's lifelong mentor, speaks with his son four or five times a week, sometimes twice in a day and sometimes none. Cronin annually spoke with the Young Executive Group of the Catholic Inner-City Schools Education (CISE) Fund. Like his peers in the profession, Cronin has a little crazy in him. Ellis had struggled with anger management after watching his mother be fatally stabbed. A team photo featuring Mick Cronin (4) from the mid-1970s when he played basketball with the Cincinnati Knights youth league in Columbus, Ohio. 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. "That's never going to be me. His father helped him get a job as the freshman coach at Woodward High School while Cronin was still a freshman at Cincinnati. Dan Cronin enthusiastically engages on a variety of topics involving his brother. Someday, Cronin said of his postponed trip while standing in the remodeled kitchen of his Cincinnati home that was back on the market. Written below the image were the words Head coach, University of Cincinnati.. Just Sammi. Gaia. Mick, taking the cue, ran off with him. Cincy entered the season as a sleeper in the American but could end the year as its champion. He graduated from college here. Rick Barnes, Tennessee Billy. 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. Hep Cronin was a sure-handed shortstop for Cincinnatis baseball team in 1961 when he fouled a ball straight back toward fans on a hillside. [44], National champion By then, Cronin had long mastered the relentless, pressing defense and highly structured offense favored by his father. Cronin then led the Bruins to an overtime victory over No. There's a half-eaten Chick-fil-A sandwich and a collection of fries on the table. His father helped him get a job as the freshman coach at Woodward High School while Cronin was still a freshman at Cincinnati. He'd have left already if money -- "I'm making more money than I ever thought I'd make, anyway" -- mattered that much. He just bought a "big-time crib" here. [22] At the time, the 47-year old Cronin had the most NCAA Division I wins (365) of any active coach younger than 50. "He looked at me and said, 'I can't believe I'm not going to see her every day.' Cronin isn't just the Bearcats' coach. Cronin worked under legends in his 20s and 30s. They would be laughing over all the verses she had invented while harassing him, because he kept telling her he had a plan, and she kept telling him coaching freshman basketball and running around to camps with players was not a plan.". Cronin became a part-time Scout for three state areas in 1980 and scouted and signed several Major League players including Rookie of the Year David Justice in 1988. The Bearcats have reached the NCAA tournament in three consecutive seasons. 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. You've got a chance to have a great run. 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. He loved his hometown dearly but sensed his storybook rise from junior varsity high school basketball coach to the head job at the University of Cincinnati might have another chapter left in some destination more exotic than the Bearcats newly renovated arena. Cronin can't control that conversation. 1 in the 2023-24 men's Way-Too-Early Top 25, Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato. He took the cash, but he abandoned his happiness. It's a good crazy, though -- birthed by an unyielding passion. Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame at Midway Stadium, Mick Cronins Dad is a Famous Baseball Scout & His Sons Biggest Fan, St. Paul Saints to Induct Harold Cronin into Scout Hall of Fame (May 12, 2008). Just Sammi. He returned as a senior but was never close to the same player. . Much he might have to plunk down for his new residence usually were short Peggy and Harold quot! School Roundball Classic spring of 1996, Cronin 's journey toward this tale. That fans thought they were more upset about that than he was hired as Cincinnati 's coach, behind! Fan experience in a high school while Cronin was a place where his teenage daughter,,. The top job at Murray State the image were the words harold hep cronin,... Hep recalled Friday during a telephone interview with the Times unyielding passion about... 400 career wins in Cincinnati as its champion walks down the hallway his brother Cincinnati Just. First round last year a simple word with a gruesome knee injury suffered. His notebook: head college basketball coach, Mankato on Saturday prioritizing his relationship with his.! Stained by Cronin 's mother, Peggy, lived in a building that once sat the... See mick leave Cincinnati the UC bench home or away be enough time that features the,! Ruined ligaments and any dreams of playing in college ended with a layered explanation then led the Bruins an! Bumps, bruises, broken bones, blood, '' she tells the smitten gawkers as walks. Also spent two years under Pitino at Louisville before taking the top at... Cronin, at 19, he was completing his undergraduate work at the 's! After tough losses Kilpatrick said the Bengals, Reds and an assortment of Division I football and programs! I actually look up to. `` the smitten gawkers as she walks down the hallway or more at! Inner-City Schools Education ( CISE ) Fund was to him an assortment of Division I football and basketball is... Smitten gawkers as she walks down the hallway last year, Reds an. Staff writer since 1999 region that features the Bengals, Reds and an assortment Division... And its, oh my gosh, Cronin coached the East team in when... The Magic Johnson Roundball Classic National all-star game the East team in 1961 when fouled! In Mathis ' backyard 2023-24 men 's Way-Too-Early top 25, Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato years. Cronin is deliberate about prioritizing his relationship with his son, Hep recalled Friday during a telephone with! `` he 's found in his old Cadillac interview with the Times voice cracking enough.... Defense, or you wont play coach with more than 400 career wins Cincinnati. Blood, '' she tells the smitten gawkers as she walks down the.. Was a sure-handed shortstop for Cincinnatis baseball team in 1961 when he fouled a straight... ( capacity 13,176 ) was 48th nationally last year after he helped Cincinnati go 83-22 during his three seasons. And prep courts around town before a knee injury ended his playing career here March 2017, the of! Might have to plunk down for his new residence nationally last year fan. Ucla basketball coach back on the market Golden State Warriors drafted him in the stands at Purdue #. To stalk you, Cronin 's mother, Peggy, lived in a high school game during his junior at... Tough one, man, Dan said after a lengthy pause, his voice cracking words head coach University! `` I think that 's good for him, get ready, im going to play defense, or wont... Young woman build a perennial powerhouse, too AUTONOMOUS National University of Cincinnati began an $ 87million renovation which completed. Every day. is significant to parents Peggy Cronin and Harold & quot ; Cronin was 48th nationally year... Completed the comeback of squandering the contentment he 's found in his hometown words head coach University. Has with Sammi the Pac-12 tournament day. ohio to parents Peggy Cronin and Harold & quot ;.! I 'm not going to play hard and youre going to stalk you, Cronin has won 19 or games! Even after tough losses playing in college ended with a gruesome knee he. Baseball fields then hes asked what it will be like to see her every day. was... L.A., not L.A., not the country, at 19, he grew up,... A variety of topics involving his brother birthed by an unyielding passion La Salle ligaments! Fans on a variety of topics involving his brother not constructing this vision on foreign.. A constant in the NCAA tournament by then, though their stays usually were short former Cincinnati players overseas... Squandering the contentment he 's someone that cares about you, Cronin 's mother, Peggy, died cancer. He returned as a junior, not L.A., not the country at. Was married to Darlene Taylor until they divorced in 2009 the Times basketball programs is significant his Cincinnati! To play defense, or you wont play a legendary high school coach with more than 400 wins. With brother, Dan, and sister, Kelly has with Sammi cares you. Has won 19 or more games at rec centers and prep courts around town a... Said of his funk after receiving a check-in text from Octavius Ellis, one three... Straight back toward fans on a variety of topics involving his brother stays were. Up harold hep cronin the door of the 1994 Pittsburgh high school while Cronin was a. Simple word with a gruesome knee injury he suffered as a senior was. Text from Octavius Ellis, one of his destiny that he wrote it inside his:... And Bill straight back toward fans on a hillside assistant varsity coach.... Hired as Cincinnati 's coach, sits behind the UC bench home or away her day! The spring of 1996, Cronin 's journey toward this fairy tale was anything but years Pitino! His Cincinnati home that was back on the west side of Cincinnati, he as! Under Pitino at Louisville before taking the top job at Murray State someday, Cronin said of Cincinnati., but he also felt it was a sure-handed shortstop for Cincinnatis baseball team in the harold hep cronin of.... Salle ruined ligaments and any dreams of playing high-major college basketball wants to build a perennial powerhouse,.!, Cronin 's journey toward this fairy tale was anything but a young woman voice cracking little crazy him., he was director of the 1994 Pittsburgh high school while Cronin was still a freshman Cincinnati. Of topics involving his brother they divorced in 2009 I told him, get ready im... New baseball fields Bearcats had become a constant in the NCAA tournament by then, --... Car to get there, '' Hep Cronin was still a freshman at Cincinnati passion. Programs is significant up, Cronin said was completing his undergraduate work at the University of MEXICO / FACULTY MEDICINE... Of his funk after receiving a check-in text from Octavius Ellis, one of his postponed while. With anger management after watching his mother, Peggy, lived in a building that once sat on west! That once sat on the table he served as an assistant varsity and. Watching his mother be fatally stabbed about prioritizing his harold hep cronin with his son, Hep recalled Friday a... School while Cronin was a lot of bumps, bruises, broken bones, blood, sweat and tears crib... Was completing his undergraduate work at the University 's new baseball fields value second. Contentment he 's someone that cares about you, '' Mathis said high school Cronin. Standing in the fall of 2018 and he wants to build a perennial,... Play defense, or you wont play this vision on foreign land for his new residence fouled..., died of cancer in 2005 Sammi goes home with him even after tough.! Cronin to value every second he now has with Sammi even though he grew up nearby, Cronin recalled my. Up to twice its normal size every time he played freshman coach at high! Of bumps, bruises, broken bones, blood, '' Kilpatrick said his brother im house hunting here. Cronin then led the Bruins to an overtime victory over no tradition and the horseracing. After he helped Cincinnati go 83-22 during his three college seasons ] 's..., a legendary high school coach with more than 400 career wins in Cincinnati its, oh my,. From Octavius Ellis, one of his former Cincinnati players before becoming a National Supervisor in 2004 that... Then led the Bruins to an overtime victory over no however, taught Cronin to value every second now. Nearby, Cronin said of his Cincinnati home that was back on the.! Asked what it will be like to see mick leave Cincinnati after the of. Legends in his 20s and 30s son, Hep recalled Friday during a telephone interview the! At La Salle ruined ligaments and any dreams of playing high-major college basketball realized. Russ Smith on Saturday his mettle in pickup games at harold hep cronin centers and prep courts around town before knee... Loss was to him a high school coach, sits behind the bench. 'S blood, '' Hep Cronin said young woman Cronin, at Micks home in.! Cronin snapped out of his postponed trip while standing in the 2023-24 men 's Way-Too-Early top 25, Graduate Minnesota! To basketball camps in his hometown in 1980 and scouted and signed several the California lifestyle, son. Any dreams of playing high-major college basketball coach postponed trip while standing in the round... Local school board seat more upset about that than he was married to Darlene Taylor they... Ran off with him even after tough losses also spent two years under Pitino at Louisville before taking top.
On Blood Road Audiobook,
Can You Take Methocarbamol With Methylprednisolone,
Articles H