Bruins Taste the Madness

Ben Howland is in a fix that UCLA can solve with a phone call and an airline ticket from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles.

A one-way ticket.

A day after Bruin Athletic Director Dan Guerrero’s attempt at a clandestine interview with Howland in Santa Barbara was made public, the Pittsburgh coach returned home to a firestorm of outrage.

Pittsburgh is angry with UCLA for pursuing Howland and feels a bit scorned by a coach who until first expressing interest in the Bruin job two weeks ago seemed like a long-term solution at a school with a ho-hum hardwood tradition.

UCLA is upset that Pittsburgh questioned Guerrero’s professional integrity by suggesting it was improper to contact Howland without permission when consent is not required.

Howland? He clearly wants the UCLA job and stuck his neck out to secure it.

Intermediaries and UCLA boosters pushing for his hire are becoming impatient with Guerrero, who they say must make an offer as soon as today or risk rejection.

“I’ve got to think it’s a done deal if they really want him,” said Jerry Pimm, whom Howland worked under for 11 years at UC Santa Barbara.

“It’s a chance for him to get the best job in the country and be in the area he wants to be. Not that he didn’t like Pittsburgh, but he’s a Southern California guy. I don’t think it’s all about money now.”

To fend off Bruin advances, Pittsburgh presented a new contract Monday to Howland, who just completed the first year of a seven-year, $5.9-million deal that includes incentives and a buyout of about $750,000. Howland earned about $950,000 this season because his team won the Big East Conference regular-season title, the conference tournament and reached the NCAA Sweet 16.

The delicacy of the situation is underscored by the fact that Guerrero and Pittsburgh interim Athletic Director Marc Boehm refused comment except through prepared statements that contradicted one another.

Pittsburgh claims Guerrero set up the interview before calling Boehm on Saturday to request permission -- a commonly practiced courtesy that is not compulsory.

“Any discussions Ben Howland may have had with UCLA this past weekend were undertaken without the permission of Pittsburgh,” Boehm said.

UCLA insists Guerrero contacted Boehm before making contact with Howland.

“We feel very confident that our process has been and will continue to be conducted in a professional manner that is consistent with the custom and practice of our industry,” Guerrero said.

What is clear is that Boehm told Guerrero his coach was off limits, a posture that worked for former Pittsburgh athletic director Steve Pederson two years ago when Howland was sought by Nevada Las Vegas and Panther football Coach Walt Harris was pursued by Ohio State.

Yet Howland, who led Pittsburgh to consecutive Sweet 16 appearances, jumped on a flight anyway and met with Guerrero and Betsy Stephenson, UCLA assistant athletic director. Sources said topics included contract numbers, compensation for assistant coaches and plans Howland has for rebuilding a Bruin team that was 10-19 last season.

“Given that my family roots are in California and my parents live there, I felt compelled to look at this potential opportunity,” Howland said in a statement.

Upon returning to Pittsburgh, Howland held a 15-minute meeting with his team and briefly acknowledged visiting UCLA. Most of the time was spent discussing academics, off-season workouts and the team banquet April 15.

Only freshman guard Carl Krauser commented to Pittsburgh reporters after the meeting, and he said Howland’s plans were not discussed. Many players said only a day earlier that they did not believe their coach would leave -- although he was with Guerrero and Stephenson at the time.

Pittsburgh has four of its top seven players returning and Howland signed an exceptional four-player recruiting class. The Panthers have an on-campus arena, the 12,508-season Petersen Events Center, that Howland considers the equal of any in the country.

Howland replaced Ralph Willard in 1999 following five losing seasons in six years. Pittsburgh is 89-40 under Howland despite going 13-15 in his first season, and his four NCAA tournament victories are the most in school history.

“Ben is taking everything in stride,” a source close to the Pittsburgh program said. “Coach is keenly aware of how well he is perceived here. He doesn’t want to rupture that.”

Guerrero could take the time to interview Mark Few of Gonzaga and perhaps wait until next week to talk to two coaches whose teams are in the Final Four -- Tom Crean of Marquette and Roy Williams of Kansas.

Howland, sources said, does not want to be left squirming for a week.

Guerrero said the day Steve Lavin was fired that a finalist must meet with Chancellor Albert Carnesale before an offer is made. Howland was not listed on any nonstop flights to Los Angeles on Monday or today, but he could always purchase a ticket at the airport.

Potentially, it could be a one-way fare.

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Times staff writer Robyn Norwood contributed to this story.