Ben Howland fired after seven seasons at Mississippi State

Mississippi State announced Thursday that head men’s basketball coach Ben Howland had been fired after seven seasons at the helm. The Bulldogs were 134-98 under Howland and went to just one NCAA Tournament (2019) and three NITs (2018, 2021, 2022).

“We are appreciative of the time and effort Coach Howland devoted in leading our men’s basketball program,” AD John Cohen said in a statement. “We thank him for his investment in the lives of our student-athletes and pouring his heart and soul into our program from the day he arrived in Starkville. There’s no question he left our program better than he found it. MSU owes a debt of gratitude to Coach Howland, and we have the utmost respect for him as a coach and person. Coach Howland is one of the best basketball minds in the country and a future College Basketball Hall of Famer. He and his wife Kim have been tremendous ambassadors to Mississippi State and the Starkville community during their seven years here. On behalf of the entire Mississippi State Family, we wish them the absolute best.”

The Bulldogs were eliminated from the NIT on Wednesday, capping off an 18-16 season. Howland won 20+ games on three occasions at MSU, with the last time being the 2019-20 season.

credit to Matt Bush/USA TODAY Sports for the photo