Mick Cronin's path to the UCLA head coaching job started as a young man on the West Side of Cincinnati.
The son of legendary local basketball coach Hep Cronin, Mick played for his dad at LaSalle High School, where he suffered a career-ending knee injury before he graduated in 1990.
Then while attending the University of Cincinnati as an undergraduate student, Cronin started his coaching career as an assistant at Woodward High School.
His college career began as a video coordinator for the Bearcats under Bob Huggins prior to the 1996-1997 season.
A year later, Cronin was elevated to a full-time assistant coach on Huggins' staff for the next four seasons.