STARKVILLE — Mississippi State’s basketball team has its new leader.
Following a coaching search that officially lasted two days, MSU announced Monday that former UCLA coach Ben Howland has agreed to become the 20th basketball coach in program history.
Howland, who has 399 career wins, has reached the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four three times and finished in the top 10 nationally on five occasions.
He last coached at UCLA in 2013. He has worked as a TV analyst since then.
The MSU hire, first reported by ESPN.com late Monday morning, was made official following an announcement by MSU Director of Athletics Scott Stricklin just after 6 p.m. on Monday.
“We have a coach who is a proven winner that’s taken three schools to the NCAA Tournament,” Stricklin said. “Ben is someone who is ready to invest in the people of Mississippi and Bulldogs everywhere, while bringing championship basketball back to the Hump. Mississippi State basketball can compete at the highest level, just as several of our other teams have done in recent years, and I’m excited to have coach Howland lead us back to that level.”
Howland’s hiring came just 48 hours after the firing of former coach Rick Ray, who was let go after going 37-60 during his three seasons as MSU’s coach.
Reports started to swirl of mutual interest between Howland and MSU on Sunday and by Monday afternoon, the 19-year veteran coach was en route to Starkville. Along with the announcement from Stricklin, released a picture of Howland wearing an MSU hat while ringing a cowbell.
‘His resume speaks for itself’
Reaction to Howland’s hiring was swift and positive for MSU.
“I don’t know him personally, but he’s obviously an outstanding basketball coach,” Richard Williams, the coach who led MSU to its only Final Four in 1996 and currently serves as color analyst of MSU’s radio broadcasts, said. “His resume speaks for itself with three appearances in the Final Four, all those players in the NBA. He is a proven winner. Obviously what comes next is most important and we will see in the next few years how it turns out. But on the surface, it’s great.”
Williams wasn’t the only former Bulldog pleased with the hire.
“They hired a really good coach,” Greg Carter, a former All-SEC performer for MSU who is the basketball coach at Starkville High School, said. “I think it’s a good situation for everybody involved. I have a lot of respect for Coach Ray and I think he left the team ready to go for next year and they went out and found a great coach to lead the team.”
‘I’m excited to build a winner at State’
For his part, Howland appeared ready to get started in his new job.
“I’m just so humble and grateful to be the new basketball coach at Mississippi State University,” Howland said in a MSU release. “I’m elated and excited at the opportunity to build a consistent winner here at State. I know we have some of the greatest fans in the country and I look forward to making them proud of our team and our efforts. Hail State.”
Howland, 57, has won 19 NCAA Tournament games during his career. In MSU history, the Bulldogs have won 11.
A record of success
The Bulldogs are getting a proven winner with a history of producing team and individual greatness. While at UCLA, Howland coached 22 future NBA players, most notably MVP candidate Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kevin Love, an NBA All-Star with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Howland began his head coaching career at Northern Arizona in 1995. While at Northern Arizona, Howland built a program from the ground up, carrying the Apaches to the first NCAA Tournament berth in school history.
From there, he moved to Pittsburgh, where he once again resurrected a program. Inheriting a team that had won 12 games the year prior to his arrival, Howland turned the Panthers into a Big East conference powerhouse, winning 57 games and losing just 11 during his final two years.
At UCLA, a job he took prior to the 2003-2004 season, Howland reached the NCAA Tournament seven times and went to three consecutive Final Fours from 2006 until 2008.
Howland has achieved success at all three stops, earning conference coach of the year honors at each destination. He won the Big Sky Coach of the Year in 1998 at Northern Arizona; he was named Big East and National Coach of the Year at Pitt in 2002; and he earned Pac 12 Coach of the Year recognition at UCLA in 2006.
Keenum: ‘The MSU family will embrace Howland’
“I am impressed with Coach Howland’s resume,” Dr. Mark Keenum, MSU’s president, said. “He has been successful at the highest levels of college basketball, and I have every confidence he will bring that same proven, winning formula to Mississippi State as well. I know the MSU family will embrace Coach Howland and his family and will fully support his efforts to put our Bulldog basketball team in position to compete for championships.”
At MSU, Howland will face another rebuilding project. Under Ray, the Bulldogs endured three consecutive losing seasons and stumbled badly down the stretch each year. MSU finished each of Ray’s first two seasons on 13-game SEC losing streaks and won just two of their last 11 games this season. Ray’s tenure ended with a 64-56 loss to Auburn in the first round of the SEC Tournament two weeks ago.
Howland will be officially introduced at a press conference this afternoon, which is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at Humphrey Coliseum. The public is invited to attend.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
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