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Ben Howland to coach Mississippi St.

Mississippi State has hired former UCLA coach Ben Howland to lead its men's basketball team, the school said Monday night.

Mississippi State and Howland agreed to a four-year contract, multiple sources told ESPN. The four-year contract is the maximum length of a deal allowed for a state employee under Mississippi law.

Howland will be introduced at a news conference on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Howland, 57, led the UCLA Bruins to three consecutive Final Four appearances from 2006 to 2008. He took UCLA to a first-place finish in the Pac-12 in 2012-13 but was fired after the season.

He has been a television analyst the past two years.

Howland will replace Rick Ray, who was fired Saturday after three seasons in Starkville. The Bulldogs were 13-19 this season and 37-60 in Ray's tenure.

ESPN.com's Andy Katz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.