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Can Steve Alford resurrect his career at Nevada?

By Brad Berreman

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 22: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins looks on in the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the CBS Sports Classic at the United Center on December 22, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 22: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins looks on in the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the CBS Sports Classic at the United Center on December 22, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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As they’re reportedly set to land Steve Alford, Nevada has done well to replace Eric Musselman.

With three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, a Sweet 16 run in 2018 and at least 28 wins in all three campaigns, Eric Musselman took Nevada basketball to new heights. But he has taken the job at Arkansas, as his inevitable exit for a bigger job came to fruition. Now, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports and Jeff Goodman of Stadium, Steve Alford is in negotiations to become the next head coach of the Wolfpack.

Seth Davis of The Athletic was first to report Alford as a serious candidate for Nevada.

Alford had a 124-63 record over five-plus seasons at UCLA, but a 7-6 start this past season got him fired on New Year’s Eve. He led the Bruins to the Sweet 16 three times in five full seasons but never advanced further than that. If not for being in the First Four in 2018, it would have been two times missing the tournament in his last three full seasons.

Prior to getting the job at UCLA, Alford went 155-52  (68-26 in the Mountain West) with three tournament appearances in six seasons at New Mexico, with more than 20 wins and an NIT bid in each of the other three campaigns. Going back to his tenures at Iowa (1999-2007) and Missouri State (1995-99), he has led all four of the schools he has coached to the NCAA Tournament.

Musselman built his rosters on transfers and grad transfers, and with multiple departures, Nevada’s team will automatically be younger next season. Alford was able to bring top-level recruits to UCLA, but he was unable to coach up that talent well enough to meet internal expectations. He has been successful outside of proverbial recruiting hotbeds though, and he certainly can be again.

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Expectations will be high at Nevada coming off Musselman’s tenure, but not unrealistically out-sized like the expectations that seem to still exist at UCLA. Reno looks like a good fit for Alford and assuming the deal is finalized Nevada has done pretty well in replacing Musselman.