[UPDATE x3 with Howland comments] ESPN: DePaul "Offered A Whopping, Multi-year Deal" To Ben Howland
by Nestor on Mar 24, 2010 2:18 PM PDT
in Basketball
Email
PrintRemember that fanshot from few days ago (that immediately generated reactions of total denial and disbelief). Well it is little more than a rumor now courtesy of ESPN's Pat Forde):
DePaul has also been mentioned as a potential landing place for Theus, but there has been a rotating array of names there. The biggest: UCLA's Ben Howland, rumored to be offered a whopping, multi-year deal.
So looks like word is going around that Howland has been in negotiations with DePaul. The story is already percolating in Kentucky (per John Clay of the Lexington Herald-Leader):
Wild rumor going around that UCLA coach Ben Howland could be headed to DePaul, where the Chicago school is supposedly offering big bucks. If Howland bites on the Chicago dough, then guess the name some are using in the same sentence with the Bruins? That’s right. Rick Pitino.
I will leave it at that for now. Something is definitely up. There is little more than smoke at this point and it is getting a little interesting.
GO BRUINS.
UPDATE (N): Tracy Pierson on BRO just posted a story. It has the following teaser (emphasis added):
It might all seem like just vacuous rumors, but we now have heard from enough reliable sources about whether UCLA Head Basketball Coach Ben Howland is, in fact, contemplating leaving UCLA...
You have to read the story for the entire scoop but suffice to say everything points to more than just a rumor at this point. Obviously this kind of story needs a lot more analysis but we are going to withhold from offering any reaction right now. GO BRUINS.
UPDATE II (N): Via email from Marc Dellins at UCLA Ben Howland issued the following:
"I am the coach at UCLA. I will never leave UCLA and will stay at UCLA as long as they will have me."
Also on Sporting News:
Howland told Sporting News any reports of him being interested in DePaul were "absolutely unfounded, untrue – 100 percent unequivocal."
The question again becomes how this story show up in first place? Pat Forde is one of the best from ESPN. He doesn't float random nonsense. GO BRUINS.
UPDATE III (N): Read the quotes very closely. They do not deny whether any kind of discussion took place. Howland might not have any interest in the DePaul job at this point but it is unclear whether there were discussions with DePaul through either direct or indirect sources. Again, the rumor is now out and even if it has been "denied" it will impact our recruiting. The question again becomes who floated this story concerning DePaul. It seems lot more than just bunch of news columnists thinking out loud. GO BRUINS.
68 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Difference between "offered" and "considering"
I can believe that De Paul has made an offer. But that might not mean a whole lot. I mean, I can offer to take Bar Rafeli out on a date. Whether she’d consider is a whole ’nother thing entirely.
by Westwood Wizard on Mar 24, 2010 2:41 PM PDT reply actions
just a rumor?
Sean Farnham said today on the radio (am570) that he’s been offered much better coaching positions before and has turned them down. Money does talk though..
"Success is never final, Failure is never fatal. It's Courage that count's"
John Wooden.....
Farnham's been offereed better positions...
or CBH has? There are lots of coaching positions better than where Farnham’s at. Granted, the current state of the UCLA program is not impressive, to say the least, but I’m not sure what other college positions are necessarily ‘much’ better – that have also been open since CBH arrived here. (and yes, I’m being a smartass about the first point – I hope!)
funny
yea Farnham said CBH has been offered better jobs than the Depaul job the past few years. I’m not sure how much money Pitino makes but i’m guessing i’ts a lot more than CBH is making.
"Success is never final, Failure is never fatal. It's Courage that count's"
John Wooden.....
Not a lot more in the salary
Howland gets $2 million and I think it escalates to $2.3 million by the end of the seal in 2015. Pitinio is getting $2.25 I believe and $2.5 million by the last year of his deal in 2013. The big thing is Pitino has a bonus that gives him $3.6 million if he’s still with the team this year (I don’t know if that means he has to finish the 2009-2010 season or begin 2010-2011 with the team) and another $3.6 million if he’s there through the 2012-2013 season.
For everything UCLA baseball, visit my UCLA baseball twitter.
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Mar 24, 2010 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions
Not that it matters to this non-story
but remember the rumors that we were set to replace Lavin with Pitino — that a deal had been cut before the season ended. And, then Lavin cried, publicly, and the whole thing fell apart.
Howland is staying.
But, whoever is mongering the rumors has an interesting touch to drop Pitino’s name in.
Ryan, you show how silly it is by setting forth what Pitino would lose by leaving.
sjh
Well
if CBH did in fact leave and we have $4 million per year to throw at Pitino, we’d have a chance. I’m going out on a limb and guessing that we don’t if the situation ever arises.
For everything UCLA baseball, visit my UCLA baseball twitter.
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Mar 24, 2010 9:01 PM PDT up reply actions
The man with the rotten touch
I think he was senile in his last few years of work…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Pitino needs a bigger table
I’m afraid none of the restaurants in Westwood have a table big enough for Pitino to find a whore and bang one on. He’s never cumming to UCLA.
http://www.fitsnews.com/2009/08/12/rick-pitino-likes-good-restaurant-tables/
Wow
Well, money is a factor but i really thought this was the place Howland wanted to be. His “dream job” maybe isn’t turning out like he thought? I guess we will see.
This Pitino business went around before when Lavin was leaving. I think he is more of an East coast guy, but the UCLA job is enough to intrigue any coach. I guess we’ll see in the coming weeks but I sure didn’t think Howland would be considering leaving so soon (if he is).
"The entire world that bleeds blue and gold ... they have been dying for this." - Coach Rick Neuheisel
Crack in relationship
A multimillion dollar offer doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Lot of sources seem to making it pretty clear right now that some kind of feelers were sent out. As I have said all along that I have been around long enough to know the story like the one randomly appearing in Chi. Tribune was not so random. Howland has been looking and DePaul is not the only gig he has been looking at.
We will see Howland remains at UCLA. However, I think this is another tipping point in Ben Howland era at UCLA. It’s a little sad but such is sports.
One of the reasons CBH still has my backing
Is his reverence for the history of the program and how he just “gets” what it means to be coach here. Maybe he still understands that, but if he’s considering leaving, that does change my perception of him, if even slightly.
How is this a tipping point.
He turned down the job, and he said he’s a Bruin for life.
by 75NatChamps on Mar 25, 2010 10:10 AM PDT up reply actions
CBH probably knows next year is going to be rough
I think he knows what we’ve all been assuming that next year might be a very underacheiving year much like this year’s debacle. Too much damage has been done over the last 2 years (esp. this year) that it may take too long to fix, or more than UCLA fans and admin are willing to wait.
Jamie Dixon
seems like a better option IF howland does decide to leave.
And we can be certain
Mark Few will be mentioned in any search at a strong program, whether or not he has a shred of actual interest in being there.
Completely agree with JD
I think Jamie Dixon would be an excellent fit, as he’s proved that he was able to take over the program from CBH. Not to mention, JD would continue the Ben Howland type defense while at the same time having a more open offense. The key here is the continuity of defensive philosophy.
Rivals is reporting something very similar
They mention a very likely replacement. Won’t say the name though.
I don't have access to subscription BRO stories
but it’s starting to look like it would be reasonable to contemplate who our next coach might be if CBH decides on his own to leave. I know N and all the other frontpagers are strongly against Guerrero letting him go, and essentially forbid the discussion of a potential replacement after a CBH dismissal, and I completely agree with that. However, if he chooses to go, that’s a different story.
At this point if you guys want to start discussion on potential replacements
Go for it in fanposts/threads etc. The cat is out of the bag right now. As for me … I want to see this play out a bit in next few days. At least that’s how I feel at this snap shot of time.
If he doesn't go...
will he be able go get past this? How will recruiting be impacted by this?
It will be business as usual
CBH could easily spin this. I mean, if someone offered you triple salary, wouldn’t you at least listen?
IMO, I think he has done more than listened, but he could even spin that as attempting to gain leverage for a bigger paycheck.
What is lost, and is gone forever, is CBH’s “dream job” motto. I could write much harsher words at the moment, but I’ll refrain.
by AllHailMightyBruins on Mar 24, 2010 3:10 PM PDT up reply actions
I would suggest all Bruin fans from holding back like you
Last thing UCLA fans should do is act like the Huskies fans who got all bent up when CRN talked to 49ers. Howland has every right to talk to other schools. Does that make things perfect? No? Whatever happens we should treat him with respect (even though we might not be happy with the coaching job he did this year and also last year).
Gene Bartow left
for UAB to be the AD and head coach.
For everything UCLA baseball, visit my UCLA baseball twitter.
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Mar 24, 2010 3:14 PM PDT up reply actions
Brown left as did Bartow..
..We lamented the former’s departure while the latter could not get on the Greyhound for Alabama fast enough for us. Also, didn’t Brown have a deal going where he was on his way out to UCLA from Kansas and then changed his mind on the flight out?
Maybe we could get Larry Brown back (for a year or so). Is Denny Crum still interested? I mean, J.D. Morgan’s dead, so Crum can hit on all of the sweeties he wants wo without pissing him off.
God, it's great to be a Bruin!
didn't Larry Brown always say that UCLA was the best job he ever had?
That he regretted leaving? not sure.
Yes
He has said on several occasions the only job he regretted leaving was UCLA.
And that’s saying something, as he has left a lot of jobs.
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
12 to this point
And there’s talk about him maybe leaving Charlotte.
For everything UCLA baseball, visit my UCLA baseball twitter.
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Mar 24, 2010 9:25 PM PDT up reply actions
He almost went to Stanford
when Monty left. Larry Brown likes to teach, so he enjoys college…though he might find it different nowadays.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I remember reading a stat once
about how UCLA’s only had, I believe, one coach ever leave Westwood for another collegiate program? It would be a shame if Howland adds to that statistic by leaving to DePaul, if all of this is even true.
Any comments from CBH?
I would think the longer that these “rumors” float around the more real they may be. If this is CBH’s dream job and he would never want to leave you would think he would come on out and put an end to all the speculation
Very Disappointing
I agree that no offer of this scale would occur without interest from both parties. If that is the case, it is very disappointing. Any speculation on why he would want to leave? It can’t be because he had a single losing season. I don’t think more money at DePaul is a sole reason to leave either.
Howland is now adamantly and directly denying
See BRO again.
This thing elevated got way out of hand
in a little over an hour. It seems now that all is well and I’m excited that Ben has squashed these rumors.
"I can't believe I ate the whole thing" Homer Simpson
it says he had zero interest last thursday
that was 6 days ago, why would it take so long to publish this and let rumors boil for so long?
my mistake
I must have been looking at some webpage that had the word thursday in it, does the wednesday in this one mean today?
Really curious now
as to how this rumor got out. Howland shot it down fairly quickly. Gotta wonder what part holds water if any
I smell that F******
Mike Garrett behind this bag o’ tripe. Pulled the same crap before with Chow after Hello K was hired. Stump-dummies try to pull the same tricks – whether or not they’ve previously worked.
The Mad Bruin
Exactly. Forde's opinion of SUC is about as high as ours.
Frankly, there is too much smoke to deny a fire. In addition to this rumor, Nestor points out that there are other rumors of flirtation. Whether CBH is sending out feelers or simply listening is up in the air, but its a bit naive to assume these are fabricated SUCisms.
by AllHailMightyBruins on Mar 24, 2010 4:18 PM PDT up reply actions
3 Way Trade?
UCLA gets Pitino
Depaul gets Howland
Louisville gets draft picks and a coach to be named later?
Only if Pitino gets a big enough TABLE
so he can bang another random whore on. I’m sure he’d find a spot in Westwood @ the Nappa Valley Grille to his liking. Pitino SUCKS.
Maybe its the evil assistant coach who secretly covets his job? J/K
In all seriousness, I think it’s safe to say that there were talks.
by AllHailMightyBruins on Mar 24, 2010 4:37 PM PDT up reply actions
Benefit of the doubt
Or maybe I’m in denial. I can’t be upset about schools pursuing Howland. It shows that people still believe In the Ben Ball product and his value as a coach. I’m sure he’s heard out this offer an previous ones. If he’s denying it and this story is based on “sources” then all I can do is wait and until something more concrete pops up.
by apbruin on Mar 24, 2010 4:46 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
DePaul is also haunted by a legendary coach_Ray Meyer
As a native Chicagoan who even after 40 years away, I still follow their local sports scene-college and high school and I cannot see DePaul being able to come up with the big bucks to lure away CBH. At one time it was a really good gig but has kind of dropped in stature. Add the looming shadow of Coach Meyer, poor existing campus facilities, and the horrible winter weather and I feel that CBH would not be willing to jump ship. There will always be rumors about well-known coached moving around but DePaul has some very good alumni candidates to choose from who could really recruit that hotbed.
Something we're not hearing?
There has to be a side of the story we’re not hearing. I wholeheartedly believe Howland when he says that he wants to stay at UCLA. Do the big money alumni have any influence on this kind of thing? I’m not sure how the politics in the athletic department work, but I’d imagine that big-time donors and season ticket holders would have some kind of influence on Dan Guerrero and Ben Howland, especially in light of the Pauley Pavilion renovation.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Bruins Nation
Related FanShots on Bruins Nation
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
