Fired Coach Ben Howland Says Goodbye to UCLA

Former UCLA basketball coach Ben Howland, who led the Bruins to three Final Four appearances but was fired two days after the Bruins were eliminated from this year's NCAA tournament, thanked his staff, players and university leadership Monday and said he was anxious to land another coaching job.

"There are so many people involved in making this program successful and I'm so appreciative of all of them and all their hard work and dedication these past 10 years," Howland told reporters at a Westwood news conference. "I'm really proud of what we've accomplished during my tenure here on and off the floor. I've watched our players grow from young men to young adults and have been happy to have been part of their maturation process and development."

Howland also thanked his family, UCLA fans and the media who cover the program.

"And I'm excited about the future," Howland said. "I'm excited about moving forward. I'm looking forward to the next chapter and I'm excited about coaching again. I'm grateful for all the experiences and relationships and feel they'll contribute toward my continuing growth and success as a coach.

"I look forward to my next opportunity and I wish all of my UCLA family the very best going forward," he said.

Howland was fired Sunday, two days after the Bruins lost to Minnesota in the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Ironically, the coach of that Minnesota team, Tubby Smith, was fired Monday, one day after the Gophers were knocked out of the tournament by Florida.

During his decade coaching UCLA, Howland compiled a 233-107 record, with seven NCAA tournament berths. That included a string of three consecutive Final Four appearances in the 2006 through 2008 seasons.

Howland dodged a question about whether he felt his firing was fair, given the fact the Bruins won the Pac-12 championship this year and that the team was hobbled going into the NCAA tournament by an injury to freshman guard Jordan Adams, the team's second-leading scorer.

"You know, we had a great year this year," Howland said. "I'm so proud of our players and our coaches, to win the Pac-12 championship. And it was really a tough break for, number one, Jordan Adams and number two, our team, to lose arguably our best all-around player and second-leading scorer.

"But that's part of this game. You know, injuries are a part of it. It's unfortunate but I'm really, really proud of all that was accomplished by this team this year and feel very good about leaving here with a good nucleus. I want all those kids to continue to have great success here and (be) excited about their futures."

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