Bruins Hope Howland Has Them Seeing Red

Seven years ago, at Steve Lavin’s hiring, I wrote to The Times comparing Lavin to Terry Donahue. The gist of the letter was that, like Donahue, Lavin would have some success but would never win the big one. In retrospect, it turns out I overestimated Lavin’s impact.

Undaunted, it appears to me that Ben Howland resembles another football coach from UCLA’s past -- Red Sanders. I predict UCLA will be making regular trips to the Final Four and that before Howland’s career at UCLA ends, there will be a 12th banner hanging in Pauley.

Jerry Namba

Santa Maria

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Anyone criticizing UCLA’s hiring of Ben Howland should have their head examined. He was absolutely the best candidate out there. This guy did an unbelievable job of turning around Northern Arizona and Pittsburgh.

His teams are disciplined, play great defense and actually run plays on offense (nothing like the Lavin era at UCLA). He’s a great recruiter and one of the most personable and hardest-working coaches out there. Guys such as Rick Pitino, Larry Brown and Roy Williams were not viable options and there was no point in waiting around to see if one them might be interested.

Dan Guerrero should be commended for getting the right guy.

Steve Ramsey

Garden Grove

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This whole UCLA coaching affair has officially disgusted me. Why is it that a so-called institution of higher learning hired a man who less than two weeks ago said he loved his current team and then turned around and left them, broken-hearted and confused?

This is a man who will be in charge of young men and pointing them in a direction that will alter the courses of their lives? This is OK?

Why is lying about your future any better than lying about your past, as George O’Leary did on his resume at Notre Dame?

Adam Ritz

Los Angeles

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J.A. Adande describes the hiring of Ben Howland “not inspired� and he “gets the sense� that Ben Howland will be greeted without excitement by UCLA fans. Neither statement could be more incorrect. UCLA is getting last year’s national coach of the year.

As a flood of letters to the editor no doubt attests, without exception, the many Bruin fans that I know have barely dared to dream of seeing Howland on our bench next year and can’t wait to see what a coach who is known for disciplined, intelligent, hard-playing teams can do in Westwood. We’ll run the red carpet all the way to Pittsburgh!

Hank Haldeman

Pasadena

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I see J.A. Adande doesn’t like the Howland hiring because he is “safe.� I know Mr. Adande has to find something to write about, which may explain why he confused “safe� with “obvious.� Coach K or Pitino, if they were available, would be “safe� too, by his definition. Why take a risk when you have a proven coach with ties to the area who wants to be there?

Craig Dunkin

La Crescenta

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There has been a lot of ugliness involved in the dance to hire Ben Howland as UCLA basketball coach. As a Pittsburgher, the worst thing that I saw happen was the Pitt Panther basketball players having to answer media questions regarding Mr. Howland’s possible departure. They all put themselves on the line and said that there was no way Mr. Howland would leave. How disheartening that Mr. Howland allowed his former players to look like fools.

Clearly, Mr. Howland did not care for the most important part of the team: his players. Bear that in mind as you watch him bring his tactics to UCLA.

Gerard Maryak

North Huntingdon, Pa.

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Will Ben Howland be UCLA’s Pete Carroll?

Howard Mationg

Gardena