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Mick Cronin teaches his players offense, defense and money sense.
It’s just another part of being a college basketball coach in 2026.
The UCLA coach said Friday that his players are provided tutorials about Roth IRA retirement accounts and other financial tools designed to help them manage their growing wealth. This is the first season that players have received revenue sharing distributions from schools in addition to name, image and likeness income.
When it comes to investing, Cronin said he told his players to avoid one thing in particular.
“I don’t want to hear about you investing in property,” Cronin said, repeating his message. “You know, what the hell do you know about property?”
Cronin’s preferences are savings accounts and S&P funds that have long-term growth potential. If his players are lucky, they won’t have family and friends trying to meddle with their finances.
“You know, the more people touch your money, the more they’re going to take it,” Cronin said. “So yeah, we talk about all this stuff, but unfortunately, it’s more complicated than that — the things they go through with other people.
“Try being a player nowadays where you get the money, you get a good contract, and you’re playing college sports, and you’re dealing with the fact that your family wants your money. You know, you got a brother begging you to pay all his bills — say, an older brother, 28 years old, giving you his problems and his song and dance. Like, those are things for adults to have to deal with that now kids are having to deal with.”
The financial issues now confronting 18- and 19-year-olds are the same ones that young NBA players have been dealing with for many years.
“The NBA friends of mine all say, ‘How much is the money going to affect them?’ ” Cronin said. “Like, that’s the art of who do you draft? I remember my friend Neil Olshey [the former Portland Trailblazers general manager] took Damian Lillard years ago. He’s like, ‘You know, I got to give somebody the keys to the car. Who’s going to really want to build up the organization or who’s just going to take the money?’ So it’s tough. I mean, in life, it affects everybody differently.
“I think money affects everybody and you’re more apt and equipped to deal with it better the older you are in life.”
Acknowledging that money can make people comfortable, Cronin repeated a Nick Saban saying that getting comfortable is the worst thing that can happen to someone trying to achieve something. So does having all that money mean his players no longer feel devastated after a loss?
“Not in our locker room,” Cronin said, “because I won’t allow it.”
Etc.
Cronin labeled shooting guard Skyy Clark, who has missed the last five games with a hamstring injury, as “highly questionable” for the Bruins’ game against Northwestern on Saturday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion. … New football coach Bob Chesney will be introduced and greet fans at the basketball team’s home game against Indiana on Jan. 31.