End of Faith: Why Howland Must Go, Even Though It Hurts
by Bellerophon on Feb 3, 2012 6:10 AM PST
in Basketball
Email
PrintWell, I wish I could say I was surprised at our Bruins' complete, total, and pathetic collapse against Romar's poorly coached, street-ball, goon squad. I don't know what it is about Seattle, but no matter how much talent Howland has, it seems like he simply cannot beat Romar. And no, Romar is not a good coach. So, seriously, when Ben finally gets shown the door, let me save you the trouble: Romar would be completely unacceptable to be our head coach.
In any event, since Nestor (joined by the rest of us on the front page) publicly made it clear that Ben Howland is not going to be the guy that gets UCLA back to the elite level it should be at in college basketball, I have always been a bit troubled.
Now, before I go further, let me explain something about the expectations for our basketball program. No one is calling for or demanding multiple NCAA titles in a short time period. We don't expect anyone to ever duplicate what Coach did. But, what we do expect is that UCLA, the leader in men's basketball national titles, should contend for the national title on a consistent basis, that we make regular deep runs in the NCAA tournament, regularly win the Pac-12 title, and that once every so often, we play for (and maybe finally win) the whole damn thing.
In other words, I expect us to replicate the success we see at places like North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, and Kansas. This is UCLA after all.
Now, as you've seen, I, along with the rest of the front page crew, have been vocal in calling for the removal of Ben Howland as our men's basketball coach, to be joined by our incompetent, total failure of an athletic director, Chianti Dan Guerrero. So, you're probably wondering why I, of all people, am troubled by calling for Howland to be fired.
Let's talk about that after the jump.
In fact, I have a confession to make: deep down inside, I'm a Howler too.
I used to be the biggest Howland fan. I f**king loved the guy, loved his coaching style, and just loved the in-your-shirt, take-no-shit, my-name-is-Arron-f**king-Afflalo-and-I-will-not-be-denied fight and drive of classic, Big East style, nasty junkyard dog defensive Ben Ball Warrior basketball. But something has happened to Howland, and we've discussed time and time again what has caused our coach to lose his way. Was it the loss of the Dixon/Keating style assistant? The unmistakable errors in judgment in letting Shipp, Dragovic, Honeycutt, Nelson, and others slack off and face no repercussions while Moser, Powell, Lane, etc. got the hook for the smallest of errors? The inability to control the attitudes of his players? The stubborn refusal to adjust when man-to-man defense just isn't working?
Well, this isn't the post for analysis. I'm not going to sit here and go through the numbers, the game tape, the quotes from players, and tell you why Ben needs to go. We've had that conversation time and time again. I could simply copy-paste the great analysis that DCBruins, Tydides, Nestor, Patroclus, and the other front pagers have been putting up about this team's struggles. Nope, this post is about reflecting on Howland; it's about something more visceral.
When Howland came in, he turned our program around fast. No one expected JF, AA, LRMAM, and the rest of the original Ben Ball Warriors to take us to the national title game. It was a wild, crazy ride and it looked like Ben had worked a miracle and got UCLA back to where it should be, but way ahead of schedule. I loved the guy. When we lost to Florida for the second time, then Memphis, I figured Ben was just like Bill Self: that he was a great coach and that he would win UCLA a national championship. In my mind, it wasn't a question of if, but when Ben would bring UCLA its next banner.
Those were the good ol' days. We played tough defense. We won. We had good guys on the roster, the kind of guys you just really wanted to like, just not as players, but as people: DC, AA, JF, LMR, LRMAM, AA2, etc. As a young alum, who didn't get to experience the Wooden years, or even King Ed, or heck, even any point in time where our football program didn't suck huge balls, that win over Gonzaga and those runs to the Final Four were awesome memories, the highlights of my time as a Bruin (bear in mind, I didn't get into UCLA until I got to UCLA, since I'm a Northern California guy, but then again, I never gave a damn about Cal or Stanford growing up either . . . but probably because they both sucked). So for me, the biggest highs were all due to Ben.
I believed in Ben Howland. Even last year, when the season was imploding, and the numbers just kept telling us that Howland was creeping toward the Lavin-esque, while I knew in my head that Ben was in trouble, my heart just kept telling me no. Even as this season got off to an absolutely horrendous start, deep down, I kept hoping that Ben would turn it around, that a switch would flip, and we'd see a return to the Ben Ball we all grew to love.
I want Ben Howland to succeed. I want him to win national championships in Westwood. I like the guy. No, really, I do. Despite the stories of his stubbornness, the unusual pattern of every player wanting to leave early to not deal with (what we hear) are tyrannical practices, I like Ben Howland. He did right by UCLA and it never seemed like he was going to use us as a stepping stone to another gig.
I take no joy in calling for Ben Howland's firing. I really don't. But, when you look at the numbers, it's clear that en hasn't gotten the job done, at least not to the level UCLA deserves. That said, it's about more than the numbers, but it's about something that happened this season that made me realize, on a deep, visceral level, that Howland had to go.
I stopped believing in Ben Howland.
I no longer have the confidence that everything will turn out okay for UCLA. I no longer believe that Ben can guide us to the pinnacle of college basketball. I don't have faith in Ben, not anymore. I can't point to any particular reason, or any particular point in time where that happened: I just know it did. I lost faith. I stopped believing in Ben. The magic is gone.
I could care less about watching our basketball games, because it's just painful. It hurts to see the shell of a formerly great coach flail about with a mediocre team (that he is solely responsible for building), unable to adjust, unable to find a way to win, and unable to bear any resemblance to the outstanding coach that made UCLA a dominating force in college hoops.
When you look at schools like Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, and the other elites, the fans have something we don't: a belief in their coach. Deep down in every Blue Devil, Tar Heel, Jayhawk, etc. is the belief that, even in a bad, rebuilding season (which for these guys, still always result in at least a NCAA tournament appearance), that Coach K, Williams, or Self would right the ship.
Howland, on the other hand, lost that. It's sad.
Deep down inside, I want Howland to prove us wrong. I want him to make us eat our words. I hope his team turns the corner, destroy everyone else left on schedule, win the Pac-12 tournament, and take us on a deep run to the Sweet Sixteen. I hope, so bad, this happens. Not just because I have zero faith in Chianti Dan's inability to make a competent hiring decision when it comes to basketball (since Ben basically flew out to beg for the job when Lavin got the boot), but because I want to recapture some of that magic. I want to go back to those days when JF, AA, LRMAM, LMR, and the rest of the Ben Ball gang were turning Pauley Pavilion into hottest ticket in town.
But it's not going to happen. There's a big difference between what I want to happen, and what I know will happen. I wanted Rick to succeed too. I was ecstatic when he got hired. Which brings me to another confession:
Deep down inside, I'm a Neub too.
At BN, we take no joy from the failings of Rick or Ben. In an ideal world, both men would be succeeding beyond our wildest imaginations. But at some point, you have to take a step back and realize, objectively, that it is time to move on. It's a lot like being with your ex. You stuck it out, you tried to make it work. You tried to remember the good times, the fun memories when everything clicked. But at some point, you realized it wasn't going to work. And life went on.
So as difficult as it is, as much as we don't want to, it's time to move on. The magic is gone. The belief is gone. And no matter how much we want things to go back the way they were, during those magical Final Four runs, those days aren't coming back. I take no joy in saying it, but the simple truth is that it's time for Ben Howland to fade away from Westwood.
GO BRUINS
108 comments
|
7 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I stopped believing in Ben Howland.
“I stopped believing in Ben Howland.”
Me too.
by RealisticBruinFan on Feb 3, 2012 6:14 AM PST reply actions
Well said.
I couldn’t agree more.
Its like a relationship where you love your partner but, because of certain issues, you know that the realtionship will never work out and you have a sever ties.
I actually had made that analogy
But cut it because it was getting long. We’re on the exact same page OB
100% right
you couldn’t have said it better and I couldn’t agree more. Quite honestly, for me, I still believed in him until last night. He finally had this team playing good basketball (not Ben Ball – we’re not athletic enough for true Ben Ball – but still good basketball) yesterday, then they just collapsed. And that was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. I don’t know if he’s lost this team, but he’s lost most of the fan base after last night
It is now inevitable
Like it or not a coaching change does reinvigorate a program, even if the coach is not well established, i.e. Mora. At this point, UCLA needs some reinvigoration in Basketball. It will likely help us tremendously in recruiting immediately. Furthermore, the Pac-whatever needs us to do it. The conference relies on UCLA to be considered amongst the top programs so the conference gets more recognition. What I could not tolerate last night was the literal disdain that the commentators and ESPN analysts displayed and relayed toward the Pac-whoever and UCLA basketball. At halftime, Gottlieb discussed how bad a game they were being forced to cover from a conference that was likely going to get 1-2 bids max. That’s what it has evolved to. UCLA has tarnished its own reputation, under Howland’s watch, which has led the Pac-I don’t care to be considered no more than a decent mid-major conference. Not tolerable folks!!
Louisville, KY for UCLA class of '87
Perspective
Living in Louisville, KY I ask myself if Coach Pitino or Coach Calipari would have allowed their respective programs to have slid this far while the conference lost its strength and competitiveness.
No way!! Their ego’s would have gotten them outta there well before the collapse. Maybe that is Howland’s failure…not enough ego.
Reputation must mean something!!!!
Louisville, KY for UCLA class of '87
Exactly
Some on here have suggested that Howland would be snatched up literally within hours of his release if UCLA let’s him go. Howland should have enough Pride or Ego that he should want to get off his sinking ship. I’m sure the Santa Clara’s, Cal State Bakersfield’s, Northern Arizona’s, etc. would do well with him.
Louisville, KY for UCLA class of '87
Hi Nestor, I just thought of Tubby Smith's case at Kentucky too
You know, Smith earned enormous praise, admirations, and along with it incredibele miles of slack when he stepped in after Pitino, then won a national championship in his very first season at Lexington, a place where basketball is the religion.
In the ensuing seasons, he did come close again before his teams started floundering. Lexington acknowledged what he did when he came, but it was what he did after the championship season, one disappointment after another that precipitated his departure before the administration pulled the trigger.
In short, Kentucky irrevocably lost faith in his coaching of its proud, storied program. I see the end coming for Howland too.
He is past his peak form already.
Incredible, not incredibele
My head still buzzes with those Seattle fans’ blood thirsty cheers & taunts at the closing minutes of the game.
Then Anderson’s silly grins & stupid clappings at his own mistake that drew an instant rebuke from ESPN commentator Dan Dakich, plus Jones’ smiles after his own mistake utterly haunted me too.
I must have cussed unspeakably loud then because my wife, come to think of it, was unusually quiet fixing dinner last night. You know she usually yells get me this, put this back in the fridge, can you find this in the cupboard, etc.
For the sake of my alma mater, I’d do it again too. Never mind how it must have disturbed, scared my neighbors out of their wits.
Shabazz will determine whether Howland goes
If Howland lands Shabazz and the team makes a decent showing, Howland stays a couple more years minimum. I think Howland should be fired regardless, but UCLA usually drags its feet and looks for any reason to do nothing.
Inner Neubs and Howlers
You really captured the inner turmoil between the heart and mind. There were many days during the last football season where I was furious with the team and incredibly sad that it just wasn’t working out for Neuheisel. It’s so similar these days with basketball. They’re almost unwatchable, but you just keep watching and you just keep hoping that Howland will right the ship. When you take a step back and look at it more rationally, the writing of the last couple of years is pretty clearly written on the wall.
I agree but...
it’s just not going to happen. He’ll have another year, for better or worse, whether or not Shabazz lands here. Firing Howland now is far too aggressive a move for DG or GB to make right now. Nestor has maintained that DG should be the focus of our ire whether or not that also means CBH, and I fully agree. Letting Howland go and somehow keeping DG would be disastrous. Allowing him to f_ck up another coaching search would set us back 4 years, minimum.
I’m not happy with CBH, but it’s DG that we need to focus on, I think. As always, just my humble opinion.
It's all of our focus ... on DG
But at the same time it needs to be spelled out … why Howland is no longer a long term viable coach for the program. He needs to be gone asap after we get a new AD.
It is also another reason people should be thinking twice about supporting the athletic department in any way. People are welcome to make their own decision. However, if they care about the long term health of our major revenue programs DG needs to be removed asap – while at the same time we spell out why Howland is a lame duck coach at UCLA.
+1 re stopping support
Great point. It is easy to get worn down by the administration’s inertia. Thanks for pointing out that the battle continues- no more support.
Several battles to fight...
Right now, I would endure another mediocre to bad season with Howland rather than have DG make another hire. I cannot stand the limp d!ck way that mean goes about his job.
I definitely understand the need to make the argument that Howland has failed and needs to go. I just feel more sickened by the prospect of Guerrero picking out next coach at this point in time.
DG is safe, unfortunately
He is resting his laurels on his hiring of Mora, who has just recruited the #12 class in the country.
He's not safe in my book at all
We just the the Bruin fans to actually give a damn about what sort of job the AD is doing and to do something about it. As long as Block feels he has a choice, he’ll choose to do nothing.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
Respectfully Disagree
Having DG go as a predicate for CBH’s dismissal would make sense in a normal world. But we are in the land of Block, where anything not related directly to a narrow definition of academics or research doesn’t matter.
Let’s say that Block doesn’t take action (which wouldn’t surprise me). Let’s say also that we go through another mediocre season (20 something wins, can’t win a weak conference, make the tourney and get bounced early). So at the end of 2013, do we say CBH should go, but DG is still there, so let’s keep CBH? What about at the end of 2014? What about at the end of 2015?
If CBH would have this turned around by then anyway, then there is no reason to let him go, even if DG is gone.
But I don’t think there is much if any confidence that CBH can turn it around. So we sit and wait and wait and wait for Block to get his head out of the sand (or wherever it is).
There is no good scenario here thanks to the administration. But I would just as soon let DG throw darts at the wall (his apparent method for picking coaches). What can be worse than every season since 2008? We are already becoming irrelevant. If this goes on, we will be the next Indiana (“didn’t they used to be good in basketball?”)
We all agree on the end game (CBH must go). It is just a matter of how we get there.
Go Bruins
What a mess.
I feel the same way
I’ve lost faith in Howland to win games. It used to be every game I believed the team had a chance to win it. Nowadays, I look at the schedule and say “That’s not a win, that’s not a win…”
Beautiful post
We cannot live in the past. The empirical evidence is just way too clear…
by glassbruin on Feb 3, 2012 8:09 AM PST via Android app reply actions
Nothing you say is ever well said
Listen dude, you are a sensationalist. You say dramatic things so that people will read your dumb articles. Ben Howland recruited a nobody…Reeves Nelson, who became a pre-season Wooden Award top 50 candidate. You complain about Reeves not being disciplined properly. Then, when BH does kick him off the team, you complain about our lack of talent. Josh Smith came in as the #2 center in the nation. BH has no control over how many cookies Smith eats during the off-season. He can inspire his players all he wants, but he cannot force them to do anything. Jerime Anderson was supposed to be a premier point guard. UCLA was one of many elite schools who saw his talent. He flopped. Obviously it’s BH’s fault, and obviously George Bush sent Hurricane Katrina to destroy New Orleans. So, if we would have had a good point guard, a great power forward, and a great center this year, you’d be praising Howland’s coaching abilities. You may have been a UCLA student, but I doubt you ever played basketball. If you did, you were probably a very unintelligent player. You are merely one of the obnoxious fans who goes to games so he can scream and jump and get angry at the opponent or the referee or the home coach if his team doesn’t win.
Ironic that nothing you just said was anything resembling intelligent thought
I always enjoy when someone’s first post starts with a sentence that violates the clear community rules and standards of BN. You know the whole part about not complaining about tone or content (in other words, since BN is free and we do this as a hobby, if you don’t like what’s here, either respectfully disagree or don’t read it). But never mind that. Let’s instead focus on how your post is 100% ignorant.
First, Reeves Nelson was not a “nobody” coming out of HS. He was highly recruited out of HS. He had offers from Arizona, Cal, Duke, Florida, Georgetown, North Carolina, Stanford, Texas, and Washington. So yeah dude, you’re wrong. Also, I’m not the one one complaining about Nelson not being disciplined properly by Howland. Everyone else on BN called Ben on it too. But more importantly, Nelson’s own parents called Ben out for it, wishing that Howland had reigned Reeves in.
Second, the discipline problems, lack of roster management, inability to retain talent, etc. all fall on Howland. He’s the head coach, so the ultimate responsibility for the entire program falls on him. Part of that is telling his players to stay in shape or imposing discipline as appropriate. Funny how Coach managed to keep his players with clean shaven faces, appropriate hair, and socks worn the right way, but Ben can’t ensure Josh is one weight management regimen. Give me a break dude. Ask Big Red about discipline and what a coach can control: because Walton came real close to not suiting up as a Bruin ever if he wasn’t willing to abide by Coach’s rules and standards. And Josh Smith is no Bill Walton.
Anderson was a flop, no doubt about it. But good coaches are able to plan around those problems. It became painfully apparent that Jerime was not going to be the answer for UCLA’s point guard woes after DC and RW went to the NBA very early in Jerime’s UCLA career. And yet, Ben has still not managed to bring in a real PG, striking out for three years now (Lazeric and Larry Drew are not the kind of elite PG that UCLA should have given our recent history of putting PGs into the NBA). That ultimately falls on Ben. Coach K, Izzo, Boeheim, Self, and Williams all strike out on recruits sometimes too and sometimes they bring in a guy who doesn’t pan out too. Yet, they managed to adapt and deal with those problems and keep their programs at the elite level.
If we had a great PG, PF, and C and were winning, then yes, Howland would get my praise, because it would have meant he brought in good talent, developed that talent, and built the team like we know he can do (see the Ben Ball Warriors). You know, if your aunt had balls, she’d be your uncle. Do me a favor and give up the lame strawman arguments and baseless speculation.
Thanks for playing dude, but you lose. I doubt you played basketball, went to UCLA, or have half a brain, because if you did, you’d have something better than your ignorant, uniformed drivel here wasting space on BN.
by Bellerophon on Feb 3, 2012 9:37 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Great response
Sometimes a post is made that is so mind numbingly myopic and ignorant that is becomes difficult to formulate a response. Bellerophon laid out a perfect counter response. If Howland is not responsible for talent development, the physical preparation of his players, and motivating his players than what exactly is he responsible for?
I say this to my non-UCLA alumni friends who ask why I have a problem with a coach that led a team to three straight final fours. My answer is very simple, would the last few years that Howland had be tolerated at UNC and Duke? Would fans at those schools be fine with missing the NCAA tournament and getting beat up in a weak conference?
I'm pretty sure I disagree with every single comment you make
And yet I still have no idea where you stand. You’d make a good politician.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
"I stopped believing in Ben Howland."
Couldn’t have said it better myself. I now consider myself an ex-Howler too.
We have become a national joke
Don’t believe me?
Re run the tape of last night’s game and don’t watch it. Just LISTEN to the ESPN announcers.
Listen as they point out that our team can’t make basic passes.
Listen as they repeatedly ask why nobody is flashing to the high post against Washington’s zone (a basic zone offense strategy even a JV girls basketball team knows).
Listen as characterize us as a “bubble team” and then dismiss that 30 seconds later.
Watch again ,if you must, how our team just shit their pants in the last 5 minutes while blowing that lead…but you didn’t have to get that far into the game to know that our program no longer has the respect afforded a middle of the pack, mid-major team.
I wanted to yell at the announcers to STFU, but sadly I couldn’t refute what they were saying. The evidence was right in my face.
Ben, we love you for what you did for our program last decade. Breaking up is hard to do.
All the highlight replays were of UW plays.
Except for the Powell alley oop that they showed like 10 minutes after the fact going into a commerical.
All the “historical” black and white photos from past “rivalry” games they showed were UW upsets over UCLA.
Until the Howland era, UCLA has owned UW. UW has no hoops tradition or history, save for a Sweet Sixteen spot or two in the last 7 or 8 years. Period.
We really have become a BSPN punching bag . . .
Great points
And that should NEVER happen. When we are on national TV, UCLA should be the “marquee” team.
Period.
Let the youth speak!
It’s the truth.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Moser
was a direct result of Dragovic. He is the root. Patient Zero.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I agree..
I can believe how much of an under achiever Josh Smith is. He should be getting at least 15-20 pts per game. When I saw the stat that he gets 9pts per game I laughed and said this dude aint serious or someone is ball washing him so bad that he believes his hype. He should be dominating PERIOD!
Well he dominated last night
Didn’t help much…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
UCLA wouldnt be in this spot
if he performed like this every game. this might of been our 2-3rd loss.
Might have been
Sorry, pet peeve.
If my aunt had balls, she’d be my uncle.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
haha i see what you are saying.
But in all honesty this team is really under achieving.
THe way it should be!
UCLA players, coaches, students, and fans should be shocked when we lose a game. Winning should come easy (most of the time) for UCLA, not a struggle and the last couple years its been a struggle constantly. I’m not trying to be unrealistic here am I? The last 3 seasons have been a joke and even hard to watch bball games. I use to be disappointed to miss watching a game and now it’s whatever to me. There is no excitement to this program and a change is needed and fast.
by Trojanswearskirts on Feb 3, 2012 8:37 AM PST reply actions
Reality Check
I just want to address this comment:
“In other words, I expect us to replicate the success we see at places like North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, and Kansas. This is UCLA after all.”
Sorry B, you’re wrong, if you define what UCLA basketball “is”. UCLA hasn’t been UCLA since 1975. It took me a long time to come to grips with that fact, but it’s true. And sadly, I am old enough to remember those days.
UCLA is a program which has won 1 NCAA Championship in the past 36 years. That is hardly impressive and far from a small sample set. After this year, make it 37. UCLA basketball has become the football equivalent of Army and Yale football. There is more than a generation out there who know UCLA as just another program. Albeit with a great history and tradition. I too want the program to mimic the likes of Duke, NC, Kansas and Ky. But I’ve wanted that for a long time now. I know someone is going to throw BHs 3 Final Fours at me. All I can say is, "meh", nice but not the same. I am still, and will always be a fan.
This is the wrong attitude
Mediocrity isn’t acceptable in our athletic programs. And had North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky and Kansas had the attitude of “just another program”, they wouldn’t consistently be excellent year after year (intermittent down years aside).
Heck…even through the LAVIN years I had a minimum expectation of Sweet 16s and we got those.
Missing the tourney altogether two of three years? Unacceptable.
Being a bottom-tier PAC 10 program (as we are in danger of being this year), COMPLETELY unacceptable.
Losing to such programs as LMU, Montana and Middle Tennessee State? NEVER NEVER acceptable.
You truly want to be the best? Expect the best.
Your teams
not mine.
1 for 37. Hardly the resume of an “elite” program.
Clarification
A few things. 1. The NC, Duke, Ky and Kansas examples were Bellerophon’s, not mine. I was responding to his post. 2. You said “mediocrity isn’t acceptable in our athletic programs”. Well 1 title in 37 years is less than mediocre. Sounds like the unacceptable has become accepted. And if its unacceptable, guess what, it is what it is. This is my point in responding to the OP. Answering the question “What is UCLA basketball?” And I wont even go to our football program.
I do agree with your standards in the rest of your post. Missing the tourny is pathetic. Especially now that its up to 68 teams.
Hate to say it but you don't know what you are talking about
Look at the facts. Kansas has won only three national titles, those titles spread out over 20+ years, yet you label them an elite program. Kentucky has not won a title since 1998, yet you label them an elite program. Yet those programs have the veneer of being elite year in and year out? Why is that the case for them and not UCLA?
It’s not just about winning titles It’s about making deep runs into the tournament on a regular basis, it’s about winning your conference on the regular. And most importantly it is about not getting shout out of the tournament 2 out of 3 years! There is no excuse as to why UCLA should not be doing the same. Calling UCLA mens basketball the same as Army football is beyond insulting. It is insulting to a program that has countless NBA stars in the league, it is insulting to three final four years a handful of years ago and it is insulting to the fans and alumni who support the program.
by jwher on Feb 3, 2012 11:17 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Again
Those other programs were not mine. They were noted by the author in the OP.
Fact is 1 title in 37 years is not special. Neither is 5 Final Fours in 37 years. Do I really need to list all of the programs, who by you are not int he same world as UCLA, that have won 1 title in that same time span?
In short I do agree with you of what the expectations are. But the program has not been anywhere near in since Wooden retired in 1975. Thats 37 years. What if it was 137 years? How much time has to pass before youll admit the truth.
You seem to be dead-set....
…on saying UCLA is just another mediocre program.
If that’s your prerogative, then so be it, but whatever you consider UCLA’s “status” at this time, the fact remains that UCLA should be in the elite of college basketball and we’re not. And the fact remains that we are coming up woefully short of expectation, and that falls on Howland.
Do you want the program to continue in this malaise or do you want to see UCLA become a national power that is consistently making deep tournament runs every year?
Fire Dan Guerrero
Cannot be trusted to make the new basketball coach hire. Howland wanted the UCLA job so it’s not like Dan had ANY idea that Howland would have the (brief) success that he did.
Was just coming by
to say this. I’ve come to the same conclusion as you all over the last couple weeks, but I cannot allow Howland to be fired and have his replacement hired by Chianti Dan. That would be truly disastrous.
Sad
When I went to bed last night my wife said to me, “why are you coming to bed, isn’t UCLA still playing?” I told her that unfortunately I had seen that game before, this season in-fact, and I knew the ending.
Today my head and my heart hurt and I am sad. I am sad for Ben, because he must go no matter how much I like him and no matter how much I loved watching classic Ben Ball. I hurt for the students who have never known what its like to attend a truly powerhouse University, both academically AND athletically, which was the UCLA of my time. I am also sad for me the fan who bleeds blue and gold, because I trust that loser in Morgan Center to make a solid choice as much as I do lame kitty to tell the truth during an in home visit.
I have to trust though that it will change. Withholding support, emailing and calling Block’s office, ultimately have to bring change. But today - I hurt.
CBH won't be fired until April!
I believe UCLA will wait until the late NLI’s come through, just to make sure Muhammed and Parker sign. That’s my guess.
by Trojanswearskirts on Feb 3, 2012 9:24 AM PST reply actions
Shabazz and Parker aren't signing with us
Just pray Jordan Adams and Kyle Anderson don’t ask out of their NLI’s
Just reading different sources and they say that those boys are leaning to UCLA
by Trojanswearskirts on Feb 3, 2012 9:45 AM PST up reply actions
Suspicious timing
for those sources…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Maybe
But who know’s 1st and most important is to find a way to get back to winning ways
by Trojanswearskirts on Feb 3, 2012 9:53 AM PST up reply actions
Not saying they're wrong
but the timing is just interesting to say the least.
Winning cures all of course, unless your name is Calipari or Carroll.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I do believe that commits are allowed to look elsewhere if the head coach changes
doesn’t matter when we can him if signing is the issue. If anything, it’ll hurt us even more if we do it too late because there will be less time (no time?) for the next head coach to recruit.
Didn't think bout that
I believe your right, but again that’s something DG would do.
by Trojanswearskirts on Feb 3, 2012 10:33 AM PST up reply actions
Once the LOI is signed, they are obligated to the school for the next season.
If the coach is fired in the interim, the players may petition to be released from their commitment. The school is not obligated to release them, however, in which case they have to sit a year if they transfer.
Anderson isn’t going anywhere. Kid has been super loyal, even through our pretty ugly season so far.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
Howland wasted the great chance of 2008 team through his incompetence
He had three shots at the title and couldn’t get it done. You can give him a pass for first two years as Florida steamrolled everyone on their way to a title, but 2008 is inexcusable. Since then he’s crashed and burned. Time to end this misery.
I agree
and like Bellerophon, I was probably one of his biggest supporters, but it has become clear that he just isn’t the mad for the job. But before Howland goes, Dan Guerrero must go first.
CBH has never been my cup of tea.
And we collapsed last night against a very mediocre team with one hot shooter. We snatched defeat from victory. But let’s be fair.
Our center has taken most of the season to round into semi-shape. We have no power forward. Our guards are pedestrian. On defense we are slow at center and both forwards. We are what we are, a .500 team.
Of course, the fault for this weakly talented team rests largely on CBH for reasons that have been discussed many times on this blog.
At this point, it seems his fate rises and falls with Shabazz. Reel him in and he gets another year. Fail to reel him in and say goodbye LA, hello Cal State, if he’s lucky.
It is what it is.
I thought Dan was going to the NCAA.
I think this could be a workable strategy. He moves into a promotion, and we get a new AD. Everyone is happy.
Care-taker of Coach's program...
Somewhere in the back of my mind, realistic or not, I’ve been hoping that CBH would resign because he knows that he is not taking care of Coach’s program the way that it should be. He should/would do the honorable thing to let someone more capable of taking care of the program.
BH is a good coach but not a great coach. Good is the worst enemy to Great. He teaches defense but not offense. I don’t think we would win NC if he was the coach of the 1995 team. He got to the final four but only to lose big each time. Last night ‘s collaps was the second time this season he lost a game that is basically won. Last time against Stanford. The team just stood there and can’t seem to do anything. Who would be a good replacement for him?
Your last question
is what bothers me the most, even if I think Howland should go.
In any case, I don’t think it’s true when you say he doesn’t teach offense. He does, but it’s a very deliberate offense predicated on the half court set. They didn’t lose last night because of that, they lost because they don’t have the mental fortitude and their coach hung them out to dry.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
care taker of coaches program
Did anyone stop to think, maybe the loss of the Great Coach Wooden had a hugh impact on CBH to the point that it’s effecting his game? Grasping at straws….I’m just saying
I Wanted To Believe In Howland
But I just don’t see it happening anymore. I just hope we can find someone who can get us back to where we’re supposed to be – soon. Unfortunately, I’m not smart enough to guess who that “someone” might be.
Los Angeles Rams and the UCLA Bruins!!!!!
by Minnesota Bruinfan on Feb 3, 2012 10:44 AM PST reply actions
Thank you, B.
Thank you especially for your tone in this post, which is a welcome divergence from the anger and frustration we’ve all felt and expressed. I think this speaks to a lot of people in the UCLA community, not just here on BN.
Right now, I feel sad more than anything. I’ve gotten over my anger and disappointment because it just wasn’t beneficial for me personally. I used to watch every game on TV or at least listen on the radio if I were on the road, but now I can’t stand to do either.
It’s like a girl you think is the most incredible girl you’ve ever met. She seems to be everything you ever thought you wanted in a girl: she engages in intelligent conversation, she makes you laugh, she puts you on a pedestal and knows when to keep you grounded, and she gets along with your family. Then, the magic starts waning. You think it’s you, so you start adjusting your expectations, but then you realize you’re beginning to settle. All the hope and promise that knocked you head over heels is gone, and you’re just sad that you’ve come to the conclusion that you have to go your separate ways. It’s tough and there’s going to be a lot of hurt, but it’s best for everybody involved to move on. Eventually, you’ll get to a point where you’ll only remember the good times and be thankful for the experience, because hopefully someone else comes along who makes you realize why you broke up with your ex in the first place. You should never settle, and neither should we.
Go Bruins.
London
I had to go all the way to London to get away from this mess. We have season seats and I haven’t been to a game since the LMU disaster. A least London is so cold my mind is completely numb from paying too close attention. Sad that I don’t care about watching this year. An absolute first for a lifelong passionate fan.
Is football season starting?
I used to feel this way about the basketball season when we were losing football games. Now it’s the reverse. Now I don’t want to watch the games because it hurts to watch them, but I watch them anyway. I don’t know how to feel. Of course I want them to have a miracle and win the pac 12 to get into the dance and get Shabazz and Parker and get into final four. But I know they won’t get the NC even with Shabazz (like with Love). So sometimes I wish they just lose bad (like the ffotball game with $UC) and get a new coach. I’m afraid that they would win enough games to keep Howland (like win did with Lavin)
i was the same...
every mediocre/poor football season was always met with a “just wait till basketball season starts” in talks about ucla sports. now however…can’t use that anymore. is september here yet?
Agree 1000% with this post
I think the right attitude towards Howland is “Thanks for trying, thanks for a few good memories, sorry you had to put up with Dan, but you’ve lost your way and there doesn’t seem to be any chance you’re going to get us to the sustained level of excellence we want and expect. Good luck in your next job; we expect you to keep it classy like Rick did even after being fired, and unlike your predecessor.”
No good argument remains for retaining Howland on the merits. Nor does Howland deserve some of the more extreme criticism that he is a fraud of a coach, stealing money from our alma mater with every paycheck he draws. The post here strikes exactly the right chord, IMHO.
The only question is: can we get rid of Guerrero soon? If so, keep Howland until we have a competent AD to make the next hire. If Guerrero isn’t going anywhere, we might as well fire Howland and hope some talented coach manages to recruit themselves to UCLA.
Kinda off the subject question....
how long has Block been chancellor? and how much longer do you anticipate him staying? Based on all of the commentary here over the last year or so, I don’t think anything substantive will change as far as the AD’s office until that time. Barring something crazy and unforeseeable (money laundering, drug smuggling, etc).
Go Bears Go
Block got here in 2006
He will be around. As for Chianti as recently as few weeks ago we heard his seat was noticeably warm. He is trying to hold on by latching on to Mora’s recruiting success. But hoops will make things uncomfortable as number of big donors with millions at stake in Pauley renovation are not happy.
It's the absence of hope for me.
Last football season, I had no hope. I truly expected us to lose every game. Even when we won, I had to double-check to make sure I was watching the right team. The absence of any hope made the season a miserable one for me. The horrible wipe-outs just added to the pain.
At the beginning of this basketball season, I had very high hopes. I was confident that we would have a tremendous team and would have a great record. I assumed we would have one or two losses when we had off nights, but I expected us to be a solid top ten team. Then we lost to teams who our scrubs would have beaten handily in years past, and we lost badly. After a few games, I lost hope. Every now and then we win one, but truly the hope never has been rekindled.
I used to want to wait until someone had the good sense to fire Homer Simpson from his job as athletic director before we replaced Coach Howland, but now I really don’t care. We need someone new to take care of the program. The current caretaker has failed, and has failed miserably. I really don’t care who gets put in charge at this point. Coach Howland simply has to go.
I used to think that the guy who took us to three Final Fours was still in charge of the program, but that just isn’t so. This coach could have had the same players as on those Final Four teams, and they would not have performed. He is just not the same guy.
I say that Coach Howland should be terminated immediately. I know the conventional wisdom of waiting until the recruits are in the fold, but it’s hard for me to accept that any blue chip prospect would want to sign on to this mess. (I had lots of other words going through my mind, but thought “mess” would be the best choice.)
I would like to have hope again. Right now, even though there was no earthly reason why Doughnut Dan should have hired Coach Mora, I have hope for the football season. His actions, although they are basically identical to the actions taken by Coach Neuheisel when he got hired, have given me hope. I like having hope. I’m not going to talk myself out of hope for the football season just because our stupid athletic director made a brainless, uninspired hire. That clown could really hire just about anyone to replace Coach Howland, and I would have hope.
Right now, and every day that Coach Howland is in charge, I have no hope.
+1- He Needs to Go
I am okay with Howland finishing out the season. Otherwise, we have the spectacle of DG picking the interim head coach, and then promoting him to permanent head coach because he is already there.
I would rather have DG gone before Howland is gone, but we can’t assume that Block will move on DG. So Howland needs to go after the last game this season.
This I assume will be in the Pac-12 tourney. Although knowing how proud DG was of the Fight Hunger Bowl, he will probably accept a bid without asking to be in the the College Basketball Invitational, and then tell us how excited we should be. Arrgh.
Sorry Ben
Things just aren’t working out. We had so much hope for you and we had good times together, but we should start seeing other people. We’ll always remember you and the good times but its time to say goodbye.
Dump Dan!
Just for all you Howlers...
Don’t forget about UCLA’s losses to Loyola and Mid. Tennessee not only did they lose, they lost big! That’s just disgraceful and CBH should have been feeling the heat right then and there!
by Trojanswearskirts on Feb 3, 2012 2:41 PM PST reply actions
Well put B
Been feeling the same re CBH and hoping for the turnaround that never came. If DG was a solid AD he would be coaching his troubled basketball coach. Not waiting for that to happen and agree that a new AD is an imperative.
by 281bruins on Feb 3, 2012 2:46 PM PST via iPhone app reply actions
Man...
I really wanted to disagee with the article and maybe even write a passionate response but unfortunately I couldn’t agree more. Well written.
Time to say thank you
for the past efforts and move on. Lets hope DG will be shipped out with him or we may end up with Henry Bibby as our new coach.
Agreed. Bibby was a terrible coach.
And in my opinion, a terrible human being.
Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. ~ Vince Lombardi
There is a scene in "A Few Good Men"
When Tom Cruise has just pulled that great cross examination of Jack Nicholson getting him to admit that he ordered the code red. Tom Cruise turns to Kevin Bacon and suggests the members of the jury be sequestered so they can move into an 802 conference.
Kevin Bacon is stunned because of what he just heard. He is still in shock when he nods his head ‘yes.’
That’s how I feel about this post. I’m shocked. But, I cannot argue with this sentiment. It is time. And, not just because of last night. It’s for every inexplicable loss to Montana St, Long Beach, Middle Tennessee, LMU; not they are not good schools, but sorry, they should never even be in the same league as us. It’s for every loss to USC, because the Trojans should never be 50% against us in basketball no matter how good a run they are having. It’s for every good player that has watched an inferior talent get more playing time. It’s for every time we take the floor (like last night) and look clueless against a zone, full court press, what have you.
Read the witness his rights!
Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. ~ Vince Lombardi
Great Post B.
Thanks to you and the rest of the Front Pagers for speaking out the truth.
Calm Down
Howland’s not going anywhere, not should he. He’s a great coach and will get UCLA back to the top of the Pac-12. This is not the 1960’s and UCLA just isn’t what it once was, and you need to get over it. I’m a proud alum, and I love the Bruins, but I’m a realist and Ben is a great coach. It’s easy to say we should get rid of him, but it’s not the right move. Who are we going to hire that’s any better?
My recommendation
Is to read the extensive collection of posts and analysis on this blog that provide an exceptionally detailed basis for why many feel that Ben’s time is over. The data points stretch over years and there’s little/no evidence that Ben can turn things around. We wish he could but the games provide ample evidence that turnaround isn’t on the horizon.
by 281bruins on Feb 3, 2012 9:15 PM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
Loser Bruin Mentality
What’s stopping us from being a perennial contender like Duke or Kentucky every year? Your argument is that “its not the 1960’s,” so should we stop watching sports altogether because its not the 1960s? A head coach that loses to Middle Tennessee and LMU is not a great coach. This is not 2006.
Dump Dan!
by bruinclassof10 on Feb 4, 2012 12:09 PM PST up reply actions
We are not talking about bringing back those good old days.
Even Duke, with coach K still in charge, cannot return to those days in the early 90’s when they routinely enjoyed consecutive Final Four berths plus championships. In fact, it was quite sometime between its last one and the one before that too. In between, they flamed out early also. But they stay competitive, consistently recruit what coach K needs without the turmoils that handicapped our program.
Win or lose, coach K exerts a steady hand on the program with a fervent fanbase.
Nobody is saying Howland was not a good coach. Yet his performance these four seasons reflects a troubling pattern systemic in so many ways, ominously repetitive every year. That is why we collectively arrived at the consensus that Howland is past his peak form already. To me, he is in exactly the same situation as Tubby Smith was at Kentucky, before he opted for Minnesota.
Over a period of several seasons, Lexington stubbornly held on to the unfortunate premise that its coach was a godsend, the right one for the Wildcats the way he won an instant championship in his very first season, succeeded where the great Pitino came short in several seasons even.
The immense reservoir of goodwill Lexington accorded Tubby Smith compared well with Howland’s accolades at Westwood.
Much like the flickering tail ends of an eye catching comet streaking across the night sky, both of these capable individuals’ coaching trajectory now seems sputtering downward, their programs frustratingly maligned with problems BN chronicles in detail by many well spoken, insightful persons.
No living organisms can replicate COACH. That we knew all too well. But for a coach to continually grapple with problems seemingly intractable with his own game strategies, and a somewhat inflexible mindset by his fanbase if not his players, I do believe it is time to ponder the unthinkable now.
Given the time he has, until now, to remedy the situation with little results thus far, it is only a pipe dream for you, Mreeves, to think Howland " WILL GET UCLA BACK TO THE TOP OF THE PAC – 12 ".
And, jokingly now, nothing ever make me, to my recollections, cussed as hard & obnoxiously loud than last night's game.d
For some one not known for that type of expletives laden outbursts ( I am not Bobby
Knight II ) you know we have a serious problem on hand. LOL.
I felt bad for you when I read your posts
because I know exactly how you felt. That’s why I haven’t been able to watch much after the Middle Tennessee, LMU debacles. I guess there are the five stages of death, and I guess I’m finally at acceptance. I hope there can be a rebirth.
Well, my wife finally asked what ticked me off so much ( LOL )
Incredulous, I said didn’t you hear what was on TV. She said but I thought you felt asleep when waiting for dinner. I said I wished I did, but I wasn’t sorry now my neighbor, their darling kids all knew their neighbor was a foul mouthed person.
No regret. It was all for a good cause, cathartic to say the least.
Someone also on BN said he would be on an escapade to London just to stay away from the insanity of it all. Well, my wife has relatives in Taipei. In the middle of this month, during the conference games’ stretch run, so to speak, we will be touring Taipei, then Hong Kong before returning in early March. Everything will have been decided then.
Warts and all, it is what it is. Our lives will go on but I hope our hearts won’t be hurt too much.
Why is CG called chianti?
I’ve read it on several blogs, and have always wondered why people call him Chianti Dan? A couple things that are just wrong about this season, are the same things that were wrong last season. While I appreciate the players going above and beyond when we play $c, players should give 100% ALL THE TIME. It bothers me that Josh Smith all of a sudden plays decent and hustles when in Seattle… that is inexcusable. The team we have this year (with the current coaching staff) would have won at least 4 more games if they played hard and hustled each and every game. So the problem is (especially with the lack of senior leadership), is that the coaches should be doing that! When players lose the respect of their coach, they won’t play as hard… plain and simple (look at CRN). Use some of the Fox TV money to get us a good coach! As much as I’m proud of all of our athletics, I’m tired of saying “at least we have a good Women’s Volleyball team.”
He's called that...
…because he’s an incompetent, do-nothing, lazy bureaucrat who is more concerned with planning chianti tasting trips to Italy than fixing our failing programs.
Also
he “straps it on everyday,” doesn’t wear blue to the Rose Bowl, doesn’t know what’s wrong with Spaulding among many other transgressions.
Dump Dan!
by bruinclassof10 on Feb 4, 2012 12:11 PM PST up reply actions
For me, I never called him Chianti Dan
It was always the honorable Mr. Dan Guerrero, with another two words in parenthesis if you know what I am talking about.
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.
