UCLA Fires Ben Howland - East Idaho News
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UCLA Fires Ben Howland

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Getty S 3413 Howland?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1364201724795Stephen Dunn/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) Three trips to the Final Four in ten seasons was not enough for UCLA.

The school has fired head men’s basketball coach Ben Howland Sunday. Howland coached the team since 2003, leading the Bruins to a 233-107 record during that time.

“I want to thank Ben for all that he has done for UCLA in his ten seasons in Westwood,” Athletic director Dan Guerrero said in the statement. “He embraced our tradition and culture and produced some terrific teams and coached a number of wonderful young men. We wish Ben and his family all the best as they move onto a new chapter in their lives.”

The past couple of seasons have not gone smooth for Howland. In the three seasons prior to this one, the Bruins had a 56-43 record and failed to make the NCAA tournament twice.

This season the Bruins won the Pac 12 title, but were blown out by Minnesota in the first game of the Big Dance.

“I have been blessed with the opportunity to coach at UCLA for 10 years and I will always be grateful to Dan Guerrero and Chancellors [Gene] Block, [Norman] Abrams and [Albert] Carnesale for the opportunity to coach and teach our players and work alongside tremendous coaches,” Howland said in the statement. “The UCLA community and fans have been unbelievable to my family and I, and it’s been an honor and privilege to represent this great institution. I look forward to what comes next.”

Howland, who is under contract with UCLA through 2017, will be given a $3.2 million buyout from the school, according to terms of the contract.

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