Mississippi State Fires Ben Howland

The NCAA coaching carousel continues to churn through the Southeastern Conference.

When Mississippi State on Thursday fired Ben Howland, they became the sixth SEC school to undergo a coaching change since the season ended.

LSU, Florida, South Carolina and Missouri all have openings, while former Florida coach Mike White left to take the Georgia job.

New Mexico State’s Chris Jans is expected to be the school’s top target, while San Francisco’s Todd Golden, UAB’s Andy Kennedy and North Texas’s Grant McCasland are also listed as potential candidates by ESPN.

“We are appreciative of the time and effort Coach Howland devoted in leading our men’s basketball program,” Mississippi State 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.”

Howland became the school’s 20th basketball coach in March 2015 and was 134-98 in his seven seasons. He has posted a 26-year head coaching record of 535-304 with stops at UCLA (2004-13), Pittsburgh (2000-03) and Northern Arizona (1995-99) before his MSU tenure.

Under Howland, the Bulldogs made the NCAA Tournament in 2019 and appeared in the NIT three times (2018, 2021, 2022). MSU was 18-16 this past season, finished 10th in the SEC, and played in the first round of the NIT.

“Throughout Mississippi State’s men’s basketball history, we have shown that we can compete for championships at the highest level,” Cohen said. “Serving as the head men’s basketball coach at Mississippi State is an outstanding opportunity, and the position will be highly sought after. That is a testament to our great university, our passionate and loyal fan base, and our hard-working young men who proudly represent our program. We are confident we will find a new head coach who will elevate our program and position our student-athletes to compete for championships while playing an exciting brand of basketball.”