Ben Howland Won’t Last That Long Either
Soon after I wrote about how Davidson Coach Bob McKillop received a contract extension through the 2015-16 season and won’t be around long enough before heading for the bigger and better, UCLA’s Ben Howland signed a deal lasting through the 2014-15 season this week. The new extension will pay Howland $1.97 million next season and $2.3 million in the final year, plus incentives that could top out at $235,000 a year.
And again I say, yeah, right!
Howland won’t see that $2.3 million because he won’t be at UCLA to collect it.
Howland is an even bigger commodity than McKillop. First off, he’s been to the Final Four three consecutive times. Second he coaches in the media capital of the world where everyone is watching him – especially NBA executives. And third, he coaches at UCLA, not known for keeping coaches for a long time unless their name happens to be John Wooden.
I’m predicting that Howland and the Bruins will win a national title or multiple titles before the 2014-15 season. And when that happens the NBA will call. Hey, it may even happen before the Bruins finally win one under Howland. All Howland needs is a few more solid seasons and some pro team in desperate need of a new makeup, new direction, or someone fresh to lead a team that just stinks will call him.
The NBA is tempting for just about every college coach. It was for Larry Brown, Jerry Tarkanian, Tim Floyd, Mike Montgomery and Rick Pitino just to name a few. Only Brown was able to win at both levels – at the University of Kansas and with the Detroit Pistons.
Howland is a good if not great coach. There’s no way he will resist the temptation of the NBA before 2014-15, especially since he plays in the same town that houses the Los Angeles Clippers.
Tags: Ben-Howland, Bob McKillop, Davidson, Detroit Pistons, Final-Four, Jerry Tarkanian, John-Wooden, larry brown, Los Angeles Clippers, Mike Montgomery, NBA, rick-pitino, tim-floyd, UCLA, University of KansasRelated Stories
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2 opinions for Ben Howland Won’t Last That Long Either
pico
Jul 3, 2008 at 3:42 pm
But I think a lot of coaches are looking at what happened to Mike Montgomery and Pitino and think about giving up that money for the pro game. The college game is a recruiting grind, but the pro game?…
There isn’t a lot of coach-on-player development, and a tenure with a team is 2-3 years if you’re not in the playoffs. A coach is beholden to the owner and the GM, along with players who can display a large amount of selfishness. If the money’s good, why move when you can make yourself an icon at one of the country’s best programs?
McKillop, on the other hand, might make a move when he no longer has Curry, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he stayed at Davidson.
Kevin Hunter
Jul 3, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Your point is well taken, but what college coach wouldn’t want to take a chance and earn millions in the NBA? The worst that can happen is that it doesn’t work out and they are welcomed back to the college game with open arms. Look at Tim Floyd and Rick Pitino for examples.
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