Yes, I'm tired of hearing about Steve Lavin too, but I have to mention this second article from the Chicago Tribune because of the way the writer characterizes Lavin's tenure at UCLA. In response to the notion that DePaul's AD is looking for someone to bring stability to the program, the writer adds the following:

Lavin already has done that once, stabilizing the UCLA program after succeeding Jim Harrick in 1996. He took over late for Harrick, who had been fired in the wake of an expense-account scandal. But in his first season, Lavin guided the Bruins to the Pac-10 title, a 24-8 record and the NCAA tournament's Midwest regional final.

His teams won 20 or more games in each of the next five years and in four of them advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament. But when UCLA fell to 10-19 in the 2002-03 season, he was fired even though his overall record was 145-78 (.650).

(Sigh). It just amazes me how much love this guy gets around the nation; maybe someday I'll get used to it. But for now, I feel compelled to refer back to my post on his legacy.