Mick Cronin Introduced as UC's New Men's Basketball Coach Transcript
of March 24 Press Conference
March 24, 2006
Mick Cronin was introduced as UC's 26th men's basketball coach at a March 24
press conference. The following is a transcript of that press conference.
UC President Dr. Nancy L. Zimpher
I have had many occasions and many opportunities to welcome you on behalf of
our faculty, our staff, our students, our alumni, our friends, our Bearcat Band,
cheerleaders, dance team, and of course the Athletic Department to the
University of Cincinnati. This is a great day and I certainly want to say Mick
Cronin , his wife Darlene, to his dad Hep Cronin: welcome home. We are
delighted.
I certainly want to congratulate this year's men's basketball team. They have
played their hearts out, there is no question about that. As to coach Andy Kennedy, we couldn't have asked for better. It was a tough, tough situation and
we wish him the very best at Ole Miss.
Athletic Director Mike Thomas joined us December 1st. He has been occupied
with lots of new things and his first job was certainly to conduct a thorough,
national search for a new men's basketball coach and that is exactly what Mike
Thomas has done. We are delighted and we want to thank you, Mike, for your
leadership and I just want to reiterate; Mick Cronin , we couldn't be happier to
have you here.
Athletic Director Mike Thomas
Today we are here to welcome back to Clifton a native of Cincinnati, an
alumnus of UC and one of the finest basketball coaches in the country. Our
coaching search has been unique, there is no doubt about that, in that it has
lasted eight months, while most searches last less than 30 days. Through this
very unconventional, and some may say, unprecedented set of circumstances, we
have been able to conduct a search which has delivered a coach that is a
Cincinnatian in every sense.
A strong basketball tactician, a proven national recruiter, and an
effective communicator that will bring and build lifetime relationships with
student-athletes, past and present.
A man who has demonstrated his talents in program development and
maintenance, and above all else, we have been able to attract a man who is red
and black to the core, and Bearcat born and bred. It is my esteemed honor and
privilege to introduce to Bearcat Nation, the 26th men's basketball coach for
the University of Cincinnati, Mick Cronin
Head Men's Basketball Coach Mick Cronin
Wow. Well, first of all, Dr. Zimpher, Mike, honestly I think everyone knows
how happy I am to be here. I'm still floating. I may not being the tallest
person in the room but right now I feel .... I feel about as tall as Big Mike
right now. I can't thank you enough for this opportunity. It's my intention
everyday to make you proud, our team to make the University proud, and that
every night when you go to sleep, you know you have the right person at the
watch of a program that has such great tradition. Thank you very much.
We are here to continue -- that is the word -- continue the great winning
tradition that is the University of Cincinnati Men's Basketball. It was done
with you guys and we won't be able to continue without you're support. And I
hope I'll be a better Godfather now that I'm back in town.
This is truly a dream come true. But before I get any further into my
remarks, I want to commend this past season's Bearcat team, who is the first
team to play without any players that I was involved with through the recruiting
process. To having played the opening game, and now I can be honest, I never
miss a Bearcat game if it is on TV, even when I was in Louisville. I've never
missed a Crosstown Shootout, and that was a tough one this
year-questionable-some things at the end.
I want to commend those guys for their effort. They pulled together and
played with incredible heart, desire, and toughness, and that is the true
trademark of Bearcat Basketball in the modern era-and that will continue. But it
is very important to commend their effort. Those guys had to play their season
in a time of uncertainty and they made us proud, as an alum, I want to commend
those guys, as well as Andy. A friend of mine, he took my place when I left, he
did a remarkable job, and I couldn't be happier that we both are getting to go
home. You can't say enough about the job he did and about the job those guys did
this year.
I'd like to thank my Murray State players. This is tough, the way things
transpire fast. I have talked to some of them, not all of them and I apologize
to any and everybody who I have not been able to return your calls. It might
take me the next two years to do so.Without them I would not be here today.
Number one with me is my relationships of my players. I would not be here if
it wasn't for the efforts of my Murray State players, the guys at U of L, their
success helped me get the job at Murray State. The players at the University of
Cincinnati that played from 96-01 when I was a member of the staff and also at
the players at Woodward High School to allow me to grow as an extremely young
coach right out of high school.
UC Basketball under Mick Cronin . I want to say to our fans, I am here to
win. I am here because of the commitment that has been conveyed to me by
Director Thomas. Mike and I had an extensive discussion and discussions
throughout the process, to the commitment to winning, and continuing the great
tradition of men's basketball from the administration have not changed, will not
change, and is the reason I am here. Make no mistake about that. Although I
wanted to go home and go to the restaurants I grew up loving, I am here because
I believe we can win the national championship, we can compete for the BIG EAST
championship, and we can continue what has been done throughout the process of
building Cincinnati basketball into what it is today. It's important that I
convey that to our fans.
To those who say it's going to be tough; I didn't say it was going to be
easy. It wasn't easy getting to this podium today. I haven't played in a Final
Four, I'm not six-foot four, but I'm not afraid to roll my sleeves up. So
obviously I have a lot of work to do in terms of recruiting, but we have some
current players that I have been in touch with and that am looking forward to
getting to know them and spending time with them, developing our relationship,
because that is number one; the foundation that we will build our program on.
Their personal development as human beings, as young men, staying with that is
number two is graduation.
As a parent, as an extension the parents of our players, making sure that
they need to leave this university armed for life, with a degree that will set
them free. Give them a chance to chase all of the opportunities that they may
want to chase in their life.
And lastly to build a team that cares about each other, that loves each
other, understands that we are a major part of the University, and the way our
University is looked at across the nation because of our tremendous tradition in
men's basketball, that loves each other, that competes every night, that UC
basketball has done to give everything we've got and to continue the winning
tradition. That will be the foundation we build this program on.