Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin won’t return to the sidelines this season

Mick Cronin

Mick Cronin

AP

After Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin was diagnosed with an arterial dissection in mid-December, it had yet to be determined when (or if) he would return to the sidelines this season. After missing the Bearcats’ last three games, it was announced by the school Friday morning that Cronin will serve in an advisory role for the remainder of the season.

Cronin won’t coach the team in either practices or games, but he will continue to instruct the coaching staff while also focusing on recruiting. Associate head coach Larry Davis will continue to serve as interim head coach for the Bearcats, who are 9-3 and begin American Athletic Conference play Saturday against SMU.

“I have the utmost confidence in our coaching staff and players that we will continue to develop as a team and play Bearcats basketball,” Cronin said in the release. “This program is bigger than any coach or player. I don’t want this to be a distraction but instead want the focus to be on the growth and support of this team.

“Please know I am doing fine and look forward to continuing to help our basketball staff and players in my new, but temporary role as the Bearcats’ general manager for the rest of the year.”

Cronin’s status is similar to that of St. John’s head coach Steve Lavin, who missed most of the 2012-13 season recovering from surgery for prostate cancer. During that time Lavin continued to recruit and oversee the program, with then-assistant Mike Dunlap handling the coaching duties.

Follow @raphiellej