UCLA Coach Cruises Campus, Takes In Casual Beer Pong Game

Rex Reagan12 years ago

Any ole basketball coach can bring a couple of camped-out students a box of pizza. It takes a real coach to step up and take a celeb shot with them.

Before his team’s biggest game of the season, UCLA basketball head coach Ben Howland put on a team-logoed track suite and strutted around the stadium grounds packed with students camped out to watch him coach their beloved team the next day. Instead of passing out food, he positioned himself for one of the best sports photos of the season.

From USA Today:

Ben Howland has been called a lot of names. Beer pong player is a new one.

The embattled UCLA coach was spotted in a viral photo showing off his shooting form on Friday night outside of Pauley Pavilion while mingling with students who were camping out for Saturday’s College GameDay showdown vs. Arizona with Pac-12 title implications.

Howland made the right call. These gameday camp-outs usually look like an Occupy Wall Street protest. As much as we all love sports, it takes a sad type of person who is willing to pass up an entire weekend just so he can sit a few rows closer for a two-hour basketball game. Howland passed over this throng of GDIs reading text books in smelly tents, and found the one group of students that were actually doing something interesting.

Picture evidence confirms that while there, not only did he take a celeb shot, he allowed Shabazz Muhammad, his 19-year-old star player, to join in as well. Former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden stressed perfection in every aspect of the game, including a demonstration on how to properly tie shoes during the first practice of each season. Howland is just following in a legend’s footsteps. If his star’s beer pong form is in top shape, it should naturally carry over to success on the court. And so far, so good. Muhammad led his team with 18 points Saturday night in a home upset over Arizona.

[via USA Today]