Surprise: Alford gone; so much for loyalty

It would have been a great April Fool’s joke: Steve Alford leaving the University of New Mexico to take the head coaching job at UCLA.

Only it was Saturday morning, March 30, and it wasn’t a joke at all — former Albuquerque Journal Lobos beat reporter Andy Katz had announced the news on ESPN that Alford, indeed, was saying good-bye to UNM and his new 10-year contract extension for Westwood.

These ain’t your father’s Bruins. John Wooden is dead and buried. This season, UCLA was a respectable 25-10, went 13-5 in the Pac-12 and, like the Lobos — UNM was a 3 seed, the Bruins were a 6 seed — bowed out of the NCAA Tournament in the second round, losing 83-63 to Minnesota.

Both of those teams’ coaches were canned: Tubby Smith of the Golden Gophers and UCLA’s Ben Howland.

UCLA’s first choice wasn’t Alford. It doesn’t matter now, though, does it? With 22 years of collegiate head coaching experience, Alford led UNM to a 29-6 record this season, winning back-to-back Mountain West Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the third time as the Lobos’ head coach.

“Steve is the perfect fit for UCLA,” said UCLA director of athletics Dan Guerrero, on the school’s website. “He is part of the storied history of the game of college basketball and understands the tradition and uniqueness of UCLA. Yet, he also connects with a new generation of players and brings an up-tempo and team-oriented brand of basketball to Westwood. We welcome (him and his family) to the Bruin family and look forward to many years of success.”

Or until an NBA job is available, eh?

Alford was formally introduced to the Los Angeles media at a press conference on campus on Tuesday, just a week after he met with Duke City media and said he vowed to put out a good product, a hard-working team striving for a championship, on The Pit floor again later this year.

What a difference a week makes.

“I have been so fortunate and blessed in my life, and an opportunity to lead one of the greatest programs in college basketball history is once-in-a-lifetime,” said Alford. “It is an honor to be the head coach at UCLA, yet it is also a responsibility to ensure that our former, current and future players and fans are proud to be Bruins. I am grateful to Chancellor Gene Block and Dan Guerrero for this amazing opportunity and I can’t wait to get started.”

Of course, there will be fallout to come. We know for a fact that Bryce Alford won’t suit up for the Lobos, after setting the single-season high school scoring record (1,050 points) for La Cueva. His older brother Kory, less of a loss, will go west, too. And maybe another Lobo or two, although UCLA’s roster showed just one senior in 2012-13.

It might have been easier for Lobo fans to take if Alford hadn’t just signed that 10-year contract extension and been saying all along how happy he was to live in Albuquerque (There’s smog in L.A., Steve) and how “we” had the best fans in the world.

I know it’s the nature of the business, but just how much money does a guy need to have to be happy?

Nobody seems to honor his word, handshake or name on a contract anymore.

Maybe that’s the saddest part of all this.

Adios, Alfords.

It would have been a great April Fool’s joke: Steve Alford leaving the University of New Mexico to take the head coaching job at UCLA.

Only it was Saturday morning, March 30, and it wasn’t a joke at all — former Albuquerque Journal Lobos beat reporter Andy Katz had announced the news on ESPN that Alford, indeed, was saying good-bye to UNM and his new 10-year contract extension for Westwood.

These ain’t your father’s Bruins. John Wooden is dead and buried. This season, UCLA was a respectable 25-10, went 13-5 in the Pac-12 and, like the Lobos — UNM was a 3 seed, the Bruins were a 6 seed — bowed out of the NCAA Tournament in the second round, losing 83-63 to Minnesota.

Both of those teams’ coaches were canned: Tubby Smith of the Golden Gophers and UCLA’s Ben Howland.

UCLA’s first choice wasn’t Alford. It doesn’t matter now, though, does it? With 22 years of collegiate head coaching experience, Alford led UNM to a 29-6 record this season, winning back-to-back Mountain West Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the third time as the Lobos’ head coach.

“Steve is the perfect fit for UCLA,” said UCLA director of athletics Dan Guerrero, on the school’s website. “He is part of the storied history of the game of college basketball and understands the tradition and uniqueness of UCLA. Yet, he also connects with a new generation of players and brings an up-tempo and team-oriented brand of basketball to Westwood. We welcome (him and his family) to the Bruin family and look forward to many years of success.”

Or until an NBA job is available, eh?

Alford was formally introduced to the Los Angeles media at a press conference on campus on Tuesday, just a week after he met with Duke City media and said he vowed to put out a good product, a hard-working team striving for a championship, on The Pit floor again later this year.

What a difference a week makes.

“I have been so fortunate and blessed in my life, and an opportunity to lead one of the greatest programs in college basketball history is once-in-a-lifetime,” said Alford. “It is an honor to be the head coach at UCLA, yet it is also a responsibility to ensure that our former, current and future players and fans are proud to be Bruins. I am grateful to Chancellor Gene Block and Dan Guerrero for this amazing opportunity and I can’t wait to get started.”

Of course, there will be fallout to come. We know for a fact that Bryce Alford won’t suit up for the Lobos, after setting the single-season high school scoring record (1,050 points) for La Cueva. His older brother Kory, less of a loss, will go west, too. And maybe another Lobo or two, although UCLA’s roster showed just one senior in 2012-13.

It might have been easier for Lobo fans to take if Alford hadn’t just signed that 10-year contract extension and been saying all along how happy he was to live in Albuquerque (There’s smog in L.A., Steve) and how “we” had the best fans in the world.

I know it’s the nature of the business, but just how much money does a guy need to have to be happy?

Nobody seems to honor his word, handshake or name on a contract anymore.

Maybe that’s the saddest part of all this.

Adios, Alfords.