Mick Cronin is the youngest active coach to reach 500 victories. In his short time as UCLA’s head basketball coach, he has guided the team to one Final Four and two Sweet 16 appearances.

This season’s team currently has 20 wins and is in the top five in the competitive Big 10 Conference standings.

But that’s not enough for Bill Plaschke, who feels Cronin is too tough on his players when he calls them out in public. He’s tough on them because (a) this is and has always been his style, and (b) it gets results. A little over 50 years ago, a UCLA coach calmly told his star, two-time All-American center that if he didn’t get his hair cut and shave his beard that the team would miss him that season. News of this happening today would send Plaschke off on a tirade, I’m sure. But the player heeded his coach’s words, got the haircut and shave, and the coach and player — John Wooden and Bill Walton — went on to enjoy a great season and, more importantly, a fantastic, lifelong relationship.

Mick Cronin is not John Wooden. Nobody expects him to be. But he’s a great coach, a proven winner, teacher, and leader. Shouldn’t that be enough?

Steve Kaye
Oro Valley, Ariz.

I appreciate Bill Plaschke, but his recent Cronin piece just missed. Coach Cronin isn’t here to win a popularity contest — he’s here to win basketball games and build men of character. And guess what? He does both. Sure, he’s fiery. Sure, he’s tough. But last I checked, John Wooden’s pyramid didn’t include “make everyone feel warm and fuzzy.”

Cronin’s track record speaks for itself — he’s built winners at Murray State, Cincinnati and, now, UCLA using the same relentless, defense-first style. His players don’t just leave as better athletes and basketball players; they leave as tougher, more disciplined young men ready for life beyond the court.

David Manheim
Los Angeles