Howland out at Mississippi State after 7 seasons

Ben Howland is out as men’s basketball coach at Mississippi State, the school announced Thursday, ending his seven-year stint at the school without an NCAA tournament victory.

Howland, 64, reached three Final Fours while coaching UCLA from 2003 to 2013. He could never recapture any of that magic in Starkville, however, as his lone trip to the NCAA tournament with the Bulldogs ended with an upset loss to No. 12 seed Liberty in 2019.

Howland finishes his tenure at Mississippi State with a 134-98 overall record and a 59-67 record in the SEC. The Bulldogs failed to finish higher than fourth in the SEC during his seven seasons.

In addition to Mississippi State and UCLA, Howland also guided Northern Arizona and Pittsburgh to NCAA tournament berths over a 26-year career that includes 533 wins.

Mississippi State entered this season with high expectations thanks to a flurry of high-profile transfers, which included Garrison Brooks and DJ Jeffries. The Bulldogs, however, never found traction as early losses to Louisville, Minnesota and Colorado State set a course for a mediocre 18-16 season that ended with an NIT loss at Virginia on Wednesday night.

Howland’s defense-first instincts and State’s slow style of play have dragged on interest and attendance, with the Bulldogs ranking No. 258 in adjusted tempo this season.

Howland had one year remaining on his contract with the university and is expected to be owed $833,000. He could be owed more through a deal with the Bulldog Club, as is common with Mississippi State contracts.