I think the classic line was when he alluded he knew it was time to move on….As I recall, knowing it was not an option…He was canned! If he was so prescient, why did he not leave years before…Oh, I remember, he needed to keep his high school buddies employed….

but I think we should ask ourselves WWWD? What would Wooden do? He would still treat Lavin with respect and realize he is a flawed coach and flawed person. However, I did hear him say during the Stanford game that it was best for the him and the university that they got rid of him when they did. I never heard him admit before that it was in UCLAs best interest to can him when we did…

 I know Ill get blasted for saying this, but I think we just gotta be better than Steve, realizing he still can’t admit what he did, and move on.

I thought this was a family friendly blog. Then you not only use the “L” word (the euphemism “CHP” is used in polite society), but also you show the picture. Small children may look at that picture, and require years of therapy.

You guys need to be more careful.

When I recall Lavin’s tenure at UCLA I’m reminded of the hoards of wasted talent such as Jason Kapono, Matt Barnes and Dan Gadzuric. Barnes I will always remember for never having a clear roll on the team as to what his duties were on the floor.Kapono I never thought it was possible for a player to regress with time. I looked through and old media guy from Lavin’s second to last year I thought it was sad how they kept hyping up all his sweet 16’s comparing him to Coach K and Tom Izzo’s ya those guy’s went to sweet 16’s but they also won National Championships. . I also thought it was funny how they seem to forgot to mention the year they were knocked out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Detroit Mercy. I think an asterisk should be placed by that Pac 10 title he won having it note he won it with a good chunk of Jim Harrick’s team.

he was a blemish on our bball program like the tattoo his wife has on her boobie. the fact that guys like barnes gadzuric hollins and watson play in the nba just show how he wasted so much talent.not to mention the ones he shooed away with his lack of structure like hassan adams. with all that said, kris johnson was not very good , i wont blame his lack of success on anyone but him. he was just a spoiled brat lounging on his dad’s name

We don’t need to get into the gradual fall into mediocrity, the number of players who were no better as freshmen than they were as seniors, the offering of scholarships to players who wouldn’t start for the worst teams in the WCC, the unacceptable number of blowout losses, the victim playing etc. I’ve moved past that. Almost.

Now, my beef with him is that he is a terrible announcer. Cliches every 4 seconds. Constantly makes clueless comments. Never shuts up. Makes Dickie V seem quiet in comparison. Talks as if he were a coaching legend who retired after years of success. I’m waiting for them to prop him up with a great trivia question: Who are the only 3 UCLA coaches to take the Bruins to the round of 16 in 3 straight seasons? Why, only John Wooden, Ben Howland and CHP, the implication being that he’s worthy of being mentioned in the same sentence as the first two. He’s not. He’s a fraud. Why this guy has a job doing anything in college basketball is beyond me. ESPN is a joke for hiring him and allowing him to infect the minds of college basketball fans everywhere.

I do get at least one good laugh every time that CHP announces at Pauley because they always show photos from the 1995 championship team. Why? Because he’s clearly the outsider of all the coaches. You see a picture with about 12 players and coaches, and, oh wait, there in the back trying to stick his head into the huddle is Mr. Hair Gel. He’s only slightly easier to spot than Waldo. He doesn’t even realize that he looks like a poser in the photos.

I didn’t hear a word he said in the last game. I had the sound off. If he had been the radio announcer, I would have had the sound off, too. When you get old, there is a limit to what you can take. My limit with blowhard announcers is zero.

Case in point. My current candidate for the biggest blowhard of all time (because I was forced to listen to him at a party) is John Maddon. He made a big point about how Pittsburgh has to got to “guard the sidelines.” Well, to start with, the sidelines have yet to make a catch in this history of the NFL. Anyway, was Fitzgerald’s go-ahead (and almost-winning) TD for the Cardinals on the sidelines? Nope – it was right down the middle. No talking about guarding the sidelines at that point.

I think that was my last Super Bowl party. I just can’t take listening to blowhard announcers.

Anyway, Bruins, listen to Dr. Fox 71. If you want to avoid aggravation, TURN THE VOLUME DOWN.

Come on, no need steep that low. Blago has at least one redeeming character trait more than Lavin and less hair gel.

What’d we expect. They put guys like Duke Vitale and Lee Corso who haven’t done “_” in their respective fields. They hired and finally fired a condom that likes to conveniently have his pants fall in front of women. Or another former condom that blabbers about team and critiques players for being selfish when he yelling for the damn ball.

I remember in 2002 I took my then 5 year old son to Pauley to see UCLA play Arizona St. I remember it was a particularly bad loss since we had just beaten a much better UofA team the previous game. I remember being particularly critical on Lavin that year because we had Barnes, Kapono, and Gadzuric, all NBA ready talent on the team and we were once again woefully inept at taking care of business.

After the game, my son and I were walking to the parking garage when my son spotted Coach Lavin walking towards the Morgan Center. Now, my son at that point couldn’t even do muliplication, but he could name everyone on the team so he yelled out “Coach!” I figured Lavin would just keep walking but he turned around, smiled at my son, and got down to kneeled down to chat with him quickly. I remember he graciously signed my son’s basketball, but what I remember most was his line “I’m really sorry you came out and didn’t get to see a good win. I promise next time you come out I’ll try to coach a better game. You’ll still come out and see us right?” to which my son enthusiatically replied yes. Lavin shook both of our hands and walked off to the Morgan Center.

Lavin wasn’t a good coach and I don’t know what type of person he was other than that conversation. But all I know is that my son was so thrilled that he got to speak with a coach at UCLA and I’ll always be grateful that he took some time out to make my son’s day.

Lavin had the following guys on his rosters, all of whom were drafted for the NBA and got some run in the Association — and this does not even incldue guys who may have played professionally in Europe or the CBA or the D-League:

96-97
Toby Bailey
JR Henderson
Jelani McCoy
Charles O’Bannon

97-98
Toby Bailey
Baron Davis
JR Henderson
Jelani McCoy
Earl Watson

98-99
Matt Barnes
Baron Davis
Dan Gadzuric
Jerome Moiso
Earl Watson

99-00
Matt Barnes
Dan Gadzuric
Jason Kapono
Jerome Moiso
Earl Watson

00-01
Matt Barnes
Dan Gadzuric
Jason Kapono
Ryan Hollins
Earl Watson

01-02
Matt Barnes
Cedric Bozeman
Ryan Hollins
Jason Kapono
Dijon Thompson

In other words, Lavin had multiple-year NBA players, guys who have signed multi-million-dollar, multi-year contracts at the pro level, and he had these players for MULTIPLE years himself.

An NBA All-Star in Davis. A defensive point guard respected throughout the Association in Watson. A backup center known for rebounding and hustle in the middle of a six-year, $30+M contract in Gadzuric. A leading three-point shooter and a member of the 2006 NBA champions in Jason Kapono.

Lavin had ALL of these guys for FOUR years apiece, and had all of them together for TWO years…

And we couldn’t even get a Final Four slot??? (No, I am NOT counting the 1996-97 technicality)…

Geez.

M

has made that comment in various instances. and he is totally right.

are so merciless and intemperate that I feel compelled to think of something to say in his defense.

  I’m working on it.

  Still working.

   I’ll have to get back to you on this.

I think people are being incredibly harsh. Lavin is gone, his time is over, and he did run the program to a sub-par, occasional glimpses of hope, but ultimately terribly coached teams. But he’s the only ESPN commentator that I rarely hear commending Howland, He continually addresses Coach Wooden in his commentary, and he’s the only face that those $CUM alum (at ESPN) have hired to talk about college basketball giving UCLA some presence nationally.

Why don’t they give Bill Walton his job and then Bruins could be at peace with who is covering their games… Until then, I’ll take some positive commentary during our games…