Ben Howlett (basketball)

Ben Howlett
Current position
Title	Head coach
Team	West Liberty
Conference	Mountain East Conference
Playing career
2005–2009	West Liberty
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2009–2010	West Liberty (student assistant)
2010–2011	Ohio Valley (assistant)
2011–2017	West Liberty (assistant)
2017–present	West Liberty
Head coaching record
Overall	197–32 (.860)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
	6 MEC (2018–2020, 2022–2024); MEC North Division (2021); 3 MEC tournament (2020, 2022, 2023);
Awards
	3 MEC Coach of the Year (2021–2023);

Ben Howlett is an American college basketball coach who is the head coach of the West Liberty Hilltoppers men's basketball team.

Early life and playing career

Howlett grew up in Marietta, Ohio and attended Marietta High School.^[1] He played college basketball for the West Liberty Hilltoppers and averaged 23 points per game as a senior.^[2] Howlett scored 1,663 points during his college career.^[3]

Coaching career

Howlett began his coaching career as a student assistant for West Liberty following his senior season in 2009. He spent the 2010–2011 season as an assistant for the Ohio Valley University Fighting Scots. Howlett returned to West Liberty as an assistant the following season after being offered a position from his former coach, Jim Crutchfield.^[4]

Howlett was hired as the head coach at West Liberty on March 28, 2017, after Crutchfield resigned to the head coaching position at Nova Southeastern.^[5]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
West Liberty (Mountain East Conference) (2017–present)
2017–18	West Liberty	26–4	20–2	1st	NCAA Division II First Round
2018–19	West Liberty	28–5	20–2	1st	NCAA Division II Sweet 16
2019–20	West Liberty	27–4	19–3	1st	No postseason held
2020–21	West Liberty	18–5	13–3		NCAA Division II Elite Eight
2021–22	West Liberty	29–3	20–2	1st	NCAA Division II First Round
2022–23	West Liberty	33–4	20–2	1st	NCAA Division II Runner-up
2023–24	West Liberty	26–7	17–3	T-1st	NCAA Division II Second Round
2024–25	West Liberty	10–0	5–0
West Liberty:		197–32 (.860)	134–17 (.887)
Total:		197–32 (.860)
National champion Postseason invitational champion Conference regular season champion Conference regular season and conference tournament champion Division regular season champion Division regular season and conference tournament champion Conference tournament champion

References

^ Holland, Jordan (March 14, 2020). "Ben Howlett building his own legacy at West Liberty". Marietta Times. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
^ "Classes of 2021 and 2022 inducted into Mid-Ohio Valley Sports Hall of Fame". Marietta Times. June 12, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
^ "West Lib in good hands with Howlett at the helm". The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. March 10, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
^ "HOWLETT RETURNING TO WEST LIBERTY AS ASSISTANT COACH" (Press release). West Liberty Athletic Department. July 8, 2011. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
^ Wharton, Jim (March 28, 2017). "Ben Howlett named West Liberty Head Coach". WTAP.com. Retrieved November 26, 2024.

External links

West Liberty Hilltoppers bio

[1] Holland, Jordan (March 14, 2020). "Ben Howlett building his own legacy at West Liberty". Marietta Times. Retrieved November 26, 2024.

[2] "Classes of 2021 and 2022 inducted into Mid-Ohio Valley Sports Hall of Fame". Marietta Times. June 12, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2024.

[3] "West Lib in good hands with Howlett at the helm". The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. March 10, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2024.

[4] "HOWLETT RETURNING TO WEST LIBERTY AS ASSISTANT COACH" (Press release). West Liberty Athletic Department. July 8, 2011. Retrieved November 26, 2024.

[5] Wharton, Jim (March 28, 2017). "Ben Howlett named West Liberty Head Coach". WTAP.com. Retrieved November 26, 2024.

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