Thursday, October 4, 2007

UCLA extends Howland

Athletic Director Dan Guerrero makes one good move on the Bruin coaching front this week:

UCLA basketball Coach Ben Howland, who has led the Bruins to consecutive Final Four appearances, agreed to a seven-year contract that will carry through the 2013-14 season.

His base salary this year will be $1.5 million and rise to $2 million over the course of the deal, according to a statement from UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero. He could make another $235,000 annually in incentives.




Howland, 50, has said repeatedly since arriving at UCLA from Pittsburgh that there is no other place he'd rather coach. "This has always been my dream job," he said.

Under Howland, UCLA has won consecutive Pacific 10 Conference championships, and this year's team is ranked No. 1 in several preseason publications.

I'm very lucky," he said. "I've got my dream job. I've got the best job in the country. We're paid very, very well and I know how lucky and blessed I am."

"How many people out there wake up every day and say they love what they do and have the passion for and real love of their job?" Howland said. "I get to work with the best and the brightest at UCLA."


And Bruins basketball fans are blessed with a coach who always gets the most out of his players (unlike another prominent UCLA coach)...players who give amazing efforts like this:




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