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The Morgan Center held a presser via teleconference for members of the media about the Howland firing. Here are the quick updates from the various beat reporters Twitter feeds. He didn't say much and definitely did not name any names.
Guerrero: "As I looked at the entire program and where we were, I felt now was the appropriate time to make a change."
— Jacob Ruffman (@JacobRuffman) March 25, 2013
Guerrero: :"The evaluation of a coach involves a number of other things besides wins and losses."
— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) March 25, 2013
Guerrero on whether Adams' injury had an effect on the decision: "It's speculative, so there's no need to really dwell on it."
— Jacob Ruffman (@JacobRuffman) March 25, 2013
Dan Guerrero: "The fact that we had such a depleted roster in many respects, is in part one of the reasons for making the decision."
— Jack Wang (@thejackwang) March 25, 2013
#UCLA head coach Ben Howland was bought out for $3.5 million, but it's "subject to mitigation," Dan Guerrero said.
— Edward Lewis (@EdwardLewisBSR) March 25, 2013
(meaning if he gets another job, then it'll eat into the buyout.)
Plus we have money for the buyout.
Guerrero said that UCLA has an $80 million budget and the buyout will come from that fund.
— Jacob Ruffman (@JacobRuffman) March 25, 2013
Why Ben wasn't shown the door last year:
Guerrero said he took into consideration that UCLA had to play mostly on the road last season.
— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) March 25, 2013
The decision was made today.
Guerrero said the decision was made today after a long discussion with the chancellor.
— Jacob Ruffman (@JacobRuffman) March 25, 2013
In regards to attendance issues:
Guerrero: "There are a number of factors that dictate whether people come to games or not. I would not lay all of that on Ben's shoulders."
— Jack Wang (@thejackwang) March 25, 2013
As to the actual search for a new coach:
Guerrero: "We’re going to try and bring someone here that will excite the fan base. There's a lot to sell when it comes to UCLA."
— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) March 25, 2013
SHAKA SHAKA SHAKA. Oh I'm sorry, I can't control myself.
Guerrero on candidates: "I don't think I can reveil any names on my mind, but I do have an idea of what direction we'd like to go."
— Jacob Ruffman (@JacobRuffman) March 25, 2013
Dan Guerrero: "We don't want to bring in a coach that's going to average 50 points per game."
— Edward Lewis (@EdwardLewisBSR) March 25, 2013
Guerrero: "We'll look for someone who can play a fun brand of basketball, but also a quality brand of basketball."
— Jack Wang (@thejackwang) March 25, 2013
I guess defense first basketball, OUT.
Guerrero: "We're going to cast our net broadly. College coaches are the priority, but we know there are a lot of other outstanding coaches."
— Jacob Ruffman (@JacobRuffman) March 25, 2013
As for candidates that may still be in the Dance, they will wait until they are out to contact them.
The assistants:
Dan Guerrero said he will meet with Howland's assistants tomorrow morning. Korey McCray still breathing here, I would imagine.
— Edward Lewis (@EdwardLewisBSR) March 25, 2013
I've got to imagine that Garson is gone at the very least. I think he's the most loyal of the assistants.
It was a very short press conference, and we'll probably hear absolutely nothing from the Morgan Center for the next week, as they decide whether they'll search on their own or hire a search firm. Get ready for every name possible to be linked to this job.