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Cincinnati Basketball: 5 coaching replacements for Mick Cronin

By Joey Loose

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY - FEBRUARY 25: Head coach Mick Cronin of the Cincinnati Bearcats reacts against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at BB&T Arena on February 25, 2018 in Highland Heights, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY - FEBRUARY 25: Head coach Mick Cronin of the Cincinnati Bearcats reacts against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at BB&T Arena on February 25, 2018 in Highland Heights, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 17: Head coach John Brannen of the Northern Kentucky Norse looks on during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 17, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 17: Head coach John Brannen of the Northern Kentucky Norse looks on during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 17, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

1. John Brannen (Northern Kentucky)

One of the hottest names for this head coaching search will certainly be the head man at nearby Northern Kentucky. Brannen took over a program that had just completed it’s transition to Division 1 and has transformed them into the Horizon League’s most consistent program. He already boasts two NCAA Tournament appearances in four seasons, with a regular season title in between those two runs. He’s a young head coach who’s a very hot name in coaching circles these days.

Brannen bounced around early in his career after playing for Morehead State and Marshall. He spent time as an assistant at Charleston, Eastern Kentucky and St. Bonaventure before Anthony Grant brought him onto his new staff at VCU. Brannen would follow Grant to Alabama and take over as interim head coach when Grant was fired in 2015. It didn’t take long for Brannen to get back on his feet, as Northern Kentucky scooped him up as their new head coach a few weeks later. His 81-51 mark with a new D1 program is evidence that NKU made a very smart hire.

Obviously, winning in the Horizon League is a different thing than in the AAC, but Brannen does have power conference experience with Alabama. He’s recruited some great talent for the Norse and crossing the Ohio river to Cincinnati would keep Brannen right in his recruiting powerhouse. Whether he could transform the Bearcats into a national power remains to be seen but his incredible work with Northern Kentucky cannot be overstated. If the Bearcats can steal him away, this would be a marvelous hire and one that Brannen would certainly jump at, not having to relocate himself or his family.

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There will be plenty of names mentioned for the Cincinnati job and the next head coach will have big shoes to fill. Even if Cronin made just one Sweet Sixteen during his tenure, he rebuilt the Bearcats program after Huggins’ departure and made them the most consistent team in the AAC. Time will tell if the next head coach can take that next step.

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