If anything could ever be more guaranteed than death or taxes,
it would be the imminent end of Steve Lavin’s UCLA coaching
career.
In a surreal atmosphere during his Tuesday press conference,
Lavin discussed his feelings on his impending firing by reminiscing
about his experiences here during the past 12 years (five as an
assistant under Jim Harrick and seven as head coach).
“I have no major regrets,” Lavin said.
“Obviously I have day-to-day shortcomings and failures as a
person, but I’m saving that (speech) for Sunday.”
Lavin could be fired on a Sunday, since both the regular season
and the Pac-10 tournament end on a Saturday.
Going into this weekend, Lavin has a career record of 142-77
(64.8 percent), including five Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite
Eight appearance during his seven-year tenure.
But this season, the Bruins are 7-18, their worst season since
the 1941-42 squad finished 5-18.
UCLA won’t finish with a winning record for the first time
in 54 years, and, barring a miraculous Pac-10 tournament run, will
miss out on the NCAA tournament for the first time in 15 years.
“For me, it has been a situation where for 12 years
I’ve been fortunate and grateful for an incredible
run,” Lavin said. “Obviously it has been disappointing
this season, but I’ve been fortunate to be here for the
previous 11.”
When asked if he was angry about fans forgetting the success he
had in his first six seasons, Lavin seemed humored by the UCLA
basketball atmosphere.
“No, not at all. There are times I actually get a kick out
of it,” he said. “I’m not being treated any
differently than any other coach after John Wooden. This has been
part of a passing parade of life, and I understand that.”
The next step for Lavin could be TV work.
He said he had been indirectly contacted to be a basketball
analyst, but coaching is still his first choice.
“Obviously with the right fit, I want to coach for a long,
long time,” Lavin said. “But TV would be a perfect fit
because I’ve done it before.”