LOS ANGELES, April 3 (UPI) -- Ben Howland is about to get what he has called his dream job.
Howland, who resurrected the program at the University of Pittsburgh, has been lured back to the West Coast, accepting the position of basketball coach at UCLA. The school made the announcement late Wednesday night.
Howland, 45, replaces Steve Lavin, who was fired last month after the Bruins endured their first losing season since 1948.
The Southern California native has a deep respect for the traditions at UCLA built by the legendary John Wooden.
"Having grown up in Southern California as a Bruin fan, watching the television replays of the games was special for me," he said. "To now be the head coach of this program is something I dreamed about, but never thought possible."
Howland made himself a prime candidate for the job by leading Pittsburgh to back-to-back "Sweet 16" appearances for the first time in school history. The Panthers lost to Marquette, 77-74, in the Midwest Region semifinals last week.
"Ben Howland is an outstanding basketball coach, one of the best in the entire country, and he is the man we want to run our program," said UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero. "He has built winning programs throughout his career, and we expect that he will return UCLA basketball to the nation's elite."
Last year, Howland signed a contract extension worth a reported $5.9 million over seven seasons, but the deal included a buyout clause.
The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that UCLA offered Howland a deal worth $850,000 a year, plus incentives, but he likely will make far more in endorsements and media appearances.
Pittsburgh had a string of five losing seasons in six years before Howland was hired in 1999. He had an 89-40 record at Pitt, including a 57-11 mark the last two years.
At UCLA, Howland will try to revive a once-stellar program that has fallen on hard times. The Bruins were just 10-19 this past season, and Howland becomes the school's eighth coach since Wooden retired in 1975.
"I have an appreciation for what these four letters mean in the world of college basketball," Howland said. "We should be competing for Pacific-10 titles and a high seed in the NCAA Tournament year in and year out, and I look forward to that challenge. At the same time, I want to make it clear how hard it was for me to leave the University of Pittsburgh. I can't imagine myself leaving Pittsburgh for anywhere except UCLA."
Howland grew up in Santa Barbara and Cerritos, Calif., at a time when the Bruins won seven straight NCAA titles under Wooden.
In California, he likely will have a more fertile recruiting base, and leaves behind a state-of-the-art $96 million arena in Pittsburgh. UCLA still plays at the aging Pauley Pavilion.
