It had been trending this way for weeks, but on Thursday, Mississippi State made it official, announcing the dismissal of Ben Howland as head coach for men’s basketball and the start of a national search for a replacement.
Mississippi State announces change in leadership of its men’s basketball programhttps://t.co/CiNZ2i8goQ
— Mississippi State MBK (@HailStateMBK) March 17, 2022
Howland leaves Starkville with a record of 134-98, and four postseason appearances (3 NIT, 1 NCAA). The Bulldogs were predicted to be an NCAA Tournament team in the preseason, but a disappointing 18-15 finish in his seventh season proved to be too much to overcome and forced a change at the top.
Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen released the following statement “Throughout Mississippi State’s men’s basketball history, we have shown that we can compete for championships at the highest level. 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.”
