Ben Howland Award (CollegeInsider.com) and from State and won his 250th game in the 70-65 knows how Collegehoops.net. Howland was the 2006 home win over 19th-ranked USC on Feb. 7, to rebuild Pac-10 Coach of the Year and earned 2007. Howland’s career mark is 259-140 a collegiate numerous other Conference Coach of the (.649, 399 games). basketball Year honors as well as being named the After a two-year hiatus, Howland led program. He did USBWA Dist. IX and Basketball Times All- the Bruins back to the NCAA Tournament it at Pittsburgh West Coast Coach of the Year. in 2005 and joined an elite list of college and again In 2006, he directed UCLA to the NCAA coaches who have led three teams to at Northern Championship game and to an NCAA the “Big Dance” -- 2006 UCLA (NCAA Arizona. And Regional Championship, 32 victories (tying Finalist)/2005 UCLA, 2003 Pittsburgh now he’s done the school record 32 wins set in 1995) and (“Sweet 16), 2002 Pittsburgh (“Sweet it at UCLA. a 12-game winning streak (longest since 16”) and 1998 Northern Arizona. Following Entering his 1997) entering the NCAA title contest. In the 2005 NCAA Tournament, there were fifth year as his 14th year as a collegiate head coach only 28 coaches in Tournament history the Bruins’ head (he’s been a Conference Coach of the Year who had guided three different schools coach in 2007-08, Howland has led UCLA selection in three different leagues - 2006, to the Tournament. Howland’s overall to back-to-back Pacific-10 (2006-07) Pac-10 Coach of the Year at UCLA/2002, Big NCAA record is 13-6 (9-3 at UCLA, 4-2 at titles and Final Four appearances and in East Coach of the Year at Pittsburgh/1997, Pittsburgh and 0-1 at NAU), and in 2006 2006, guided the Bruins back to the NCAA Big Sky Coach of the Year at Northern he made his fi rst trip to the Final Four as Championship Game (for the fi rst time since Arizona) and in his 27th season of collegiate a head coach. the Bruins’ 1995 national title run). UCLA basketball (as an assistant and head Howland’s sound philosophies about also won the 2006 Pac-10 Tournament coach), he’s 91-41 (.684, 132 games) at coaching and recruiting have the Bruins Championship (fi rst since 1987). In 2007, UCLA, including 80-24 (.769, 104 games) pointed in a winning direction as he enters the Bruins went undefeated at home (16-0) in his last two-plus seasons as the Bruins’ his fi fth season as UCLA’s head coach. and ended the season with a 30-6 overall head coach. Howland and his talented staff in 2004 record. Additionally, the Bruins’ 62 wins He has led a team to the “Sweet 16” four recruited the nation’s No. 4 (HoopMasters. over the last two seasons are the most in times in the last six years — Pittsburgh in com) incoming freshman class -- led by a two-year span in UCLA men’s basketball 2002 and 2003 and UCLA in 2006 and 2007. McDonald’s All-Americans, point guard history. Howland recorded his 50th Bruin win vs. Jordan Farmar and guard Arron Affl alo, He garnered two National Coach of Oregon State (Feb. 23, 2006), his 200th along with Parade Magazine All-American the Year honors in 2006 - the Jim Phelan career win on Nov. 19, 2005, vs. Delaware guard Josh Shipp and CalHi Sports All- Has Won 62 Games in the Last Two Years 2007 NABC District 15 Coach of the Year Alfred Aboya (left) and Ben Howland 3388 NCAA Final Four Participants - ’62, ’64, ’65, ’67, ’68, ’69, ’70, ’71, ’72, ’73, ’74, ’75, ’76, ’80, ’95, ’06, ’07 State center/forward Lorenzo Mata. The “Ben Howland is an outstanding Tournament), a 32-7 overall record (32 2005 class featured fi ve of high school basketball coach, one of the best in the victories tied the school record for most wins basketball’s top seniors, considered to entire country, and he is the man we want set in 1995/39 games, school record for be among the best 100 players in North to run our program,” Guerrero said. “He most games played in a season/the last time America -- 6-9 Alfred Aboya, 6-1 Darren has built winning programs throughout the Bruins reached 20 wins as quickly was Collison, 6-8 Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, his career, and we expect that he will UCLA’s 1995 Championship season) and a 6-5 Michael Roll and 6-8 Ryan Wright. In return UCLA basketball to the nation’s 14-4 Pac-10 record, winning UCLA’s fi rst 2006, the Bruins signed three talented elite. Ben understands that championships regular season conference championship players -- McDonald’s and Parade All- are built on defense, intensity, team-work since 1997 and good for the No. 1 seed in American 6-8 James Keefe, 6-8 Nikola and fundamentals, and those elements the Pac-10 Tournament (the Bruins won Dragovic and fi rst-team All-CIF 6-3 are the foundation of his philosophy. His the Pac-10 Tournament, for the fi rst time Russell Westbrook. In 2007, Howland teams come to play every night, and they since 1987). The Bruins’ 12-game winning landed the nation’s top freshman, 6-10 do an outstanding job on both ends of streak going into the NCAA Championship National Player of the Year, Kevin Love the fl oor.” game was UCLA’s longest since the end of and the Los Angeles Times’ Player of the the 1997 season (when UCLA’s 12-game Year, Chace Stanback. winning streak was snapped by Minnesota “I am honored to be the head It takes time and hard work to rebuild in the NCAA Regional Final in San Antonio). basketball coach at UCLA, and I am a program, and there’s not a collegiate The 2006 Bruins will be remembered for head coach or staff in the United States grateful to Dan Guerrero for giving their defensive tenacity, allowing opponents that works harder than Howland and his me this opportunity. Having grown only 58.7 points a game overall (39 games/ Bruin assistants. up in Southern California as a Bruin the fourth-lowest total in school history), At UCLA, in his fourth season, he opened fan, watching the televised replays including 59.3 points in conference games the year winning 14 straight games, of the games was special for me. only (18 games) and just 56.2 points in including the Maui Invitational title, and To now be the head coach of this NCAA Tournament play (six games). won back-to-back Pac-10 regular season “Winning championships is all about program is something I dreamed titles as well as guiding the Bruins to their defense,” Howland said. “If you look every about but never thought possible. second-consecutive Final Four appearance. year at the Final Four, the best teams in In his third season (2006), Howland led I have an appreciation for what the country always play the best defense. the Bruins back to the Final Four and UCLA means in the world of college Holding teams to under 40 percent from the NCAA Championship game and to the basketball. We should be competing fi eld is something that is pretty consistent Pac-10 regular season and Tournament for the Pacifi c-10 title and a high among Final Four teams.” championships. In just his second season seed in the NCAA Tournament year- In just his second season, Howland led the (2005) at UCLA, Howland guided the in and year-out, and I look forward Bruins to an 18-11 overall record, winning Bruins to a third-place fi nish (tie) in the four of the last fi ve regular season games, to that challenge.” Pac-10 and back to the NCAA Tournament and an 11-7 Pac-10 Conference mark, for the fi rst time since 2002. At Pittsburgh, — UCLA Basketball Coach good for a third-place tie with Stanford. he took over a losing program, and by his Ben Howland Highlights included returning to the NCAA third year (2002), the Panthers were in Tournament for the fi rst time since 2002; the NCAA “Sweet 16” and Howland was a win over nationally-ranked Washington; the consensus National Coach of the Year. HOWLAND AT UCLA four come-from-behind victories in Pac-10 In his fourth season (1998) at Northern In 2007, Howland guided the Bruins play when the Bruins trailed by double- Arizona, he led the Lumberjacks to their to a No. 3 fi nal national ranking in the digit defi cits; and four players earning fi rst-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. ESPN/USA Today Poll and a No. 7 ranking Pac-10 Conference honors – senior Dijon “It’s nice to be recognized, but you can in the Associated Press Poll (entering Thompson (fi rst team), freshman Jordan never rest on what you’ve done,” Howland the NCAA Tournament), a 30-6 overall Farmar (Freshman of the Year/Honorable said. “You have to keep working, keep record and a 15-3 Pac-10 record, winning Mention All-Pac-10), freshman Arron Affl alo pushing to get better. You’ve got to have UCLA’s second-straight regular season (Freshman All-Pac-10) and freshman Josh good players. No one understands that conference championship and the school’s Shipp (Honorable Mention Freshman All- more than me.