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.