Representing the University of California, Los Angeles, the UCLA Bruins are a major competitor in the Pac-12 Conference, know the team’s basketball history and record
They aren’t just based in one of the most influential sporting states in the country, they also have the most NCAA titles out of every other collegiate team.
Like any school team, they have an interesting history that’s worth exploring. Today we’re checking out the Bruins, from their founding to where they are now. They’re going to be at this year’s March Madness too, so you may want to check out March Madness odds.
NCAAB Team Profiles, UCLA Bruins History, Record, Titles And Coach
Founding Years
Unlike some other teams, the UCLA Bruins’ starting years were quite uneventful by most accounts. They were first coached by sporting Jack-of-all-trades Fred Cozens. The program started in 1919, where he led the Bruins for two seasons to a 21-4 win/loss record.
For the next 18 years, head coach Caddy Works was a lawyer who managed the team in the evenings. An early star player during Works’ tenure was Frank Lubin, who went on to represent the US at the 1936 Olympic basketball tournament.
Works’ record ended at 173-159, which got worse with the next coach Wilbur Johns. Coaching from 1939 to 1948, Johns made a 93-120 record.
The Wizard Of Westwood
Starting in 1948 and ending in 1975, the UCLA Bruins are eclipsed by one name – John Wooden. The so-called Wizard of Westwood dedicated nearly a solid 30 years to coaching the Bruins.
Under Wooden, the Bruins had their most successful run ever. It was with Wooden that they won 10 of their 11 NCAA championship victories, all within 12 years. 7 of those were consecutive. They also won 88 consecutive games in that period, too.
In Wooden’s first season, the team made a 22-7 record, which was a program and Pacific Coast Conference record. The second season saw another 24-7 record. In the 1955-56 season, they had a 17-game winning streak that ended at the 1956 tournament, where the San Francisco Dons beat them, helped by Bill Russell.
Things changed for the Bruins in the 1960s, where they would get some big-name talent of their own. The team started the ‘60s with a powerhouse team fronted by Walt Hazzard and Gail Goodrich. They ended the ‘60s even better when Lew Alcindor joined the team in 1967. Alcindor led them to an undefeated season, then unleashed a 47-game winning streak in 1968. It culminated in the Game of the Century, where Alcindor faced Elvin Hayes. While they lost 1968, they beat Hayes and the Houston Cougars in 1969. Alcindor ascended to the NBA and later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Wooden’s final coached game happened in March of 1975. The Bruins were up against the Stanford Cardinals, who they crushed at 93-59. Taking a hands-off approach, he announced his leave after the Bruins beat the Louisville Cardinals in the 1975 NCAA tournament semifinals. Quite fittingly, they won the championship game against the Kentucky Wildcats, making their 10th championship win.
End Of The 21st Century
After Wooden left the Bruins, UCLA bounced between several other coaches like Gene Bartow, Gary Cunningham, and Larry Brown. The next coach from 1981 to 1984 – Larry Farmer – almost recruited Albert King and Magic Johnson to the Bruins but they were never signed.
Afterward, former star player Walt Hazzard came back to coach the Bruins from 1984 to 1988. He was a better player than he was a coach, however, winning just 77 of their 125 played games over those four seasons.
Hazzard was fired, so former assistant coach Jim Harrick came back and oversaw the recruitment of Don MacLean. MacLean revived the team and led them into the Elite Eight. Later, Harrick helped the Bruins make a 32-1 record in the 1994-95 season and their final, 11th NCAA championship.
The Modern Bruins
Compared to the Wooden era and their brief win with Harrick, the Bruins have been listing along ever since. They entered the 21st Century under Steve Lavin, who tied the Bruins for first place in the Pac-10 at 8-3. His record was 145-78 when Lavin left in 2003.
To elevate the program, they grabbed Ben Howland, who proved to be an effective recruiter by acquiring Jordan Farmer to make a winning season. In 2005-06, they made it as the #2 seed but lost out to the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The great recruitments continued with Russell Westbrook and they made #1 seed.
From 2008 to 2013, the program suffered. They brought in Steve Alford to try and repeat Howland’s early successes. Gonzaga continued to be a problem and Alford was fired after a string of losses in 2019.
Since then, Mick Cronin has been the coach of the UCLA Bruins, though the 2020 and 2021 seasons were disrupted by the pandemic. Returning in 2021, they entered the First Four after beating the #1 seed Michigan Wolverines.
Conclusion
That’s a rundown of the Bruins’ history, from their decades of success in the past to their modern performances. With Cronin, things seem primed for a new Bruins run, but only time will tell if they can go all the way this March.
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