Mississippi State fires men’s basketball coach Ben Howland

Per a joint report by ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello, the Mississippi State Bulldogs have reportedly fired head coach Ben Howland. The search for a new coach will begin, per athletic director John Cohen.

Howland struggled in his seven seasons with the Bulldogs. Having lost in the NIT Tournament to Virginia 60-57 yesterday following yet another missed NCAA Tournament, his time finally ran out.

Howland was 134-98 during his time with the Bulldogs but just 59-67 in an ultra-competitive SEC. A No. 3 seed in the NIT Tournament, the Bulldogs finished the season with an 18-16 record.

The Bulldogs lost four of their last five games and were just 4-9 in their last 13 games.

They were led this season by 6-foot-3 guard Iverson Molinar, who averaged 17.5 points per game. He will be paramount to the immediate success of the Bulldogs' next head coach, assuming he doesn’t hit the transfer portal.

Howland did still have a year left on his contract, so he’s likely to be owed the $833,000 remaining on the deal.

Now age 64, Howland has had a lengthy coaching career, spanning more than two decades.