Darren Savino

Darren Savino is the associate head coach for UCLA men’s basketball, entering his seventh season in Westwood in 2025–26. A veteran assistant and associate head coach with nearly three decades of collegiate experience, Savino has been a central force in the Bruins’ resurgence under head coach Mick Cronin, with whom he has worked for 18 years across UCLA, Cincinnati, and Murray State. At UCLA, he has helped guide the program to four NCAA Tournament appearances in five seasons, highlighted by a 2021 Final Four and consecutive Sweet 16 trips in 2022 and 2023, plus a 2023 Pac-12 regular-season title. Known for developing frontcourt players and emphasizing toughness, defensive detail, and ball security, Savino has contributed to UCLA’s sustained national standing in scoring defense and low turnover rates while mentoring all-conference performers and future NBA draft picks. Before arriving at UCLA in April 2019, Savino spent nine seasons at Cincinnati, including a promotion to associate head coach in 2018, helping the Bearcats to nine straight NCAA Tournaments and back-to-back 30-win seasons in 2016–17 and 2017–18. His earlier career included assistant roles at Rutgers, Quinnipiac, New Mexico, East Carolina, and St. John’s, plus two seasons at Murray State where he and Cronin captured multiple Ohio Valley Conference titles. A New Jersey native and St. Anthony High School alum, Savino played at Jersey City State (now NJCU), contributing to the program’s 1992 NCAA Division III Final Four run. His steady presence, player development acumen, and recruiting ties have made him a key architect of UCLA’s culture of discipline and competitive consistency.