Howland Deal Near

Less money. An older arena. Fewer proven players.

Such a deal.

Ben Howland is grabbing it.

Barring a last-minute change of heart, the Pittsburgh coach with West Coast ties and a healthy respect for the tradition built by John Wooden will accept an offer to become UCLA basketball coach today.

After arriving by private jet -- the same aircraft he used before interviewing with Bruin Athletic Director Dan Guerrero in Santa Barbara on Sunday -- he needs only to meet Chancellor Albert Carnesale before being introduced in Westwood.

Howland, who transformed Pittsburgh from a perennial loser to a Big East Conference powerhouse in four seasons, told several sources Tuesday that the deal is all but completed.

However, Pittsburgh made an 11th-hour pitch to retain him, collecting pledges from donors well into Tuesday evening despite declarations a day earlier that Howland had been presented a final offer.

His current contract pays about $850,000 a year through 2009 with incentives that enabled him to make $950,000 this season because Pittsburgh won the Big East title and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.

The contract includes a buyout of about $700,000 that UCLA must pay Pittsburgh. Adidas, which has lucrative sportswear contracts with both schools, would pay at least a portion of the buyout, a source said.

Howland did not leave the Pittsburgh campus Tuesday until 8 p.m. EST, and a source said he discussed the last-minute overtures from Panther interim Athletic Director Marc Boehm with his family. Unless the offer was overwhelming, he planned to travel to Los Angeles.

Pittsburgh’s offer on Monday was for $1.1 million a year before incentives, so an increase would be higher than the UCLA package, which is believed to be about $850,000 a year. Incentives could bring it to $1.2 million.

“If they threw something outrageous at him, he might stop to think, but otherwise he’s committed to going to UCLA,” said a source who has spoken to Howland daily about the situation.

For most of Tuesday, all signs pointed westward.

Howland, 45, spent the morning in meetings with the Pittsburgh chancellor and with his staff. He severed ties with his Pittsburgh-based agent, Jim Zeszutek, and will be represented by Jordan Bazant, a New York-based agent whose clients include Indiana Pacer Coach Isiah Thomas and PGA Tour golfer Jim Furyk

Howland’s daughter, Meredith, a Pittsburgh cheerleader, drove her father’s car from the Pittsburgh campus at 4 p.m. EST and the coach said goodbye to his secretary at 7 p.m. and left his office an hour later.

“There was no indecision on his part,” a source said. “He accepted a deal from UCLA in principle and anticipates this will be done by Thursday at the latest.”

The announcement is expected to come today because Howland indicated he plans to travel to New Orleans for the Final Four on Thursday. For him to do so wearing the title of UCLA coach would be desirable for everyone surrounding the Bruins.

He would replace Steve Lavin, who was fired two weeks ago despite leading the Bruins to five Sweet 16 appearances in seven seasons. UCLA was 10-19 this season, however, its worst record in 61 years.

Guerrero appeared to home in on Howland from the start. From all indications, Howland is the only coach the athletic director interviewed or spoke to directly. Guerrero gauged the interest of Roy Williams of Kansas, Tom Crean of Marquette and Mark Few of Gonzaga through intermediaries but apparently decided not to wait until after the Final Four to interview them.

Howland met with Guerrero and Betsy Stephenson, Bruin assistant athletic director, in Santa Barbara on Sunday and returned to Pittsburgh in time to meet with his team Monday.

Pittsburgh put up a fuss when it became public its coach had interviewed with Guerrero, accusing UCLA of acting improperly. A day later, there was resignation in the steel city.

“The resentment will fade into disappointment,” a source in Pittsburgh said.

And disappointment should give way to the excitement of a new coach. John Calipari of Memphis, Bobby Gonzalez of Manhattan and Skip Prosser of Wake Forest already are mentioned as candidates.

Howland would leave Pittsburgh in a strong situation. After replacing Ralph Willard in 1999 following five losing seasons in six years, Howland went 89-40, including a 57-11 mark the last two seasons, the best in school history. His four NCAA tournament victories are the most in school history.

Three seniors will depart, including All-American point guard Brandin Knight, but four top recruits signed in November. Pittsburgh sold out the new 12,500-seat Petersen Events Center for every game and the team was 16-0 at home.

Now it appears he will give it all up to become UCLA’s eighth coach since the legendary Wooden retired in 1975.

While growing up in Santa Barbara and Cerritos, Howland watched UCLA games on television religiously. Although winning NCAA titles in seven consecutive seasons as Wooden did is unrealistic, Howland believes the Bruins can recapture much of their former glory.

“Year in and year out UCLA can be in a position to be what Dan wants,” Howland said 10 days ago. “Compete every year for a conference championship and get a high seed into the NCAA tournament.

“You’re not going to see Bill Walton or Kareem coming in every three years. Those days are over. That’s what makes the job so difficult. But it’s the dream job for anyone who has spent a career in coaching and has a sense of what UCLA means.”

He is vocal about UCLA eventually renovating 38-year-old Pauley Pavilion.

“You want to maintain the same ambience and sense of history, but you have to upgrade,” he said.

Howland wants to ensure that his assistants get significant raises, especially Jamie Dixon, a North Hollywood native who has been with Howland for eight years at Pittsburgh and Northern Arizona. Dixon, however, is a finalist for head coaching jobs at Wright State and Illinois State. He had a second interview at Wright State on Tuesday and has a second interview scheduled at Illinois State later this week.

Dixon said Howland and his staff are excited about the possibility of working with current Bruins such as centers Ryan Hollins and Michael Fey, forwards Andre Patterson and T.J. Cummings, and guards Dijon Thompson and Cedric Bozeman.

Pittsburgh’s success was built on toughness, tenacious defense and an unselfish offense that emphasized interior passing. All are qualities that could benefit the Bruins.

As midnight approached, Pittsburgh had given its best shot at retaining the coach whose popularity rivaled that of Steeler Coach Bill Cowher. Most likely, it was not enough.

“Everything is done,” said a source who spoke to Howland and Guerrero. “All they have to do is dot the ‘i’s. It would take something extraordinary for this to fall through.”

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

No Quick Fix

In Ben Howland’s first two head coaching jobs, his rebuilding efforts didn’t result in a winning record in the first season but did pay off in the long run:

NORTHERN ARIZONA

Before Howland: 13-13 in 1993-94

First season: 9-17 in 1994-95 (4-10 in the Big Sky)

Overall: 79-59 in five seasons, including 21 victories and Big Sky regular-season championships in each of his final three seasons. Lost to Cincinnati, 65-62, in first round of 1998 NCAA tournament.

PITTSBURGH

Before Howland: 14-16 in 1998-99

First Season: 13-15 in 1999-2000 (5-11 in the Big East)

Overall: 89-40 in four seasons, being selected for the NIT in the second season and reaching the NCAA’s Sweet 16 with victory totals of 29 and 28 in the third and fourth.

Welcome to Westwood

The first-year record of the UCLA coaches to follow John Wooden:

Gene Bartow 1975-76 28-4

Won Pac-8, finished third in NCAA tournament

Gary Cunningham 1977-78 25-3

Unbeaten in Pac-8, lost in NCAA regional final

Larry Brown 1979-80 22-10

Finished fourth in Pac-10, second in NCAA tournament

Larry Farmer 1981-82 21-6

Finished second in Pac-10 (no postseason play; on probation)

Walt Hazzard 1984-85 21-12

Finished third in Pac-10, won NIT

Jim Harrick 1988-89 21-10

Finished third in Pac-10, advanced to NCAA regional semifinals

Steve Lavin 1996-97 24-8

Won Pac-10, lost in NCAA regional final