Mick Cronin complains about 8:30 p.m. tip against Gonzaga: ‘My dad’s going to have to take two naps’

Mick Cronin’s 84-year-old father is going to need two naps on Saturday.

That’s how the UCLA Bruins head coach explained his frustration with his team’s 8:30 p.m. PT tip against Gonzaga in Seattle, which translates to 11:30 p.m. ET for anyone trying to watch from the East Coast. And Cronin has since spent part of the better part of his week making sure everyone knows how stupid he thinks that is.

“Don’t get me started, trying to stay positive. It’s ridiculous,” he said. “Why don’t we just play at midnight? I mean, what are we doing? It’s so disappointing, it’s so crazy. Let’s tip it off at 11:30. My dad’s real happy about it. He’s 84; he’s going to have to take two naps on Saturday to watch us play Saturday night. I mean, what are we doing? I’ve got no words.”

#UCLA‘s Mick Cronin on the 8:30 p.m. tip against #Gonzaga: “Don’t get me started, trying to stay positive. It’s ridiculous. Why don’t we just play at midnight? … I mean what are we doing? It’s so disappointing, it’s so crazy. … Let’s tip it off at 11:30. My dad’s real happy…

— Theo Lawson (@TheoLawson_SR) December 11, 2025

This is not Cronin’s first rodeo when it comes to airing grievances. Even before departing his alma mater and hometown of Cincinnati, he earned himself a reputation for being one of college basketball’s grumpier coaches.

Last season, he ripped his team as soft and delusional after a loss to Michigan, spending nearly 10 minutes calling out players and assistant coaches while sparing only himself and the athletic trainers. He said he had more energy and passion than everyone in the locker room combined, that his players thought they were way better than they actually were, and that it was hard to coach people who were completely delusional about their own abilities.

Then, in March, during the NCAA Tournament, Cronin was similarly terse with reporters after UCLA’s second-round loss to Tennessee. Meeting with the press well after midnight, he wasn’t in the mood for questions. When asked about looking forward rather than backward, Cronin replied that it was 12:40 a.m., his season had just ended, and his biggest concern was how bad the seats were on the Allegiant flight home.

So complaining about an 8:30 p.m. PT tip time is well within character.