Wonder Why College Sports is So Corrupt? - Steve Alford and UCLA Are Exhibit 1

If People Break Contracts Of Course They Are Teaching Others to Lie, Steal and Cheat

The athletes who play college basketball are awesome.  The men and women who manage and control and exploit them, not so much.  Here for example is the story of Steve Alford.  Mr. Alford was a great player for Indiana coach Bobby Knight and apparently learned enough from playing for Mr. Knight that he became a pretty good coach.

Alford won a national championship while playing for legendary Coach Bobby Knight at Indiana. Alford has taken three teams to the NCAA tournament as a coach: Southwest Missouri State, Iowa and New Mexico.

But like or dislike Mr. Knight, and there is a lot to dislike, he also had a tremendous amount of integrity.  As for Mr. Alford, that apparently is not something he learned.

Steve Alford giving the finger to New Mexico - Okay, not the finger pictured

UCLA officials had approached Butler’s Brad Stevens and Virginia Commonwealth’s Shaka Smart, who both passed on the job. Guerrero turned to Alford, who recently agreed to a 10-year contract extension worth more that $20 million.

Yes that’s right.  After just a few days ago signing a contract for $20 million to stay at New Mexico Mr. Alford signed a contract to go to UCLA. As for the players, they get paid zip and get to know that if they are successful Mr. Alford will back out of his new contract and go some place else.

UCLA said in announcing the hiring that Mr. Alford was perfect for UCLA.  Given that he walked away from a contract with another school that he just signed they may want to rethink that.

John Wooden he ain't.