IU Indy Athletics

Ben Howlett was named the 12th head coach of the IU Indianapolis men's basketball program on May 27, 2025, coming to the Circle City after a wildly successful run at NCAA Division II West Liberty (W.Va.) University in West Liberty, W.Va. Howlett piloted the Hilltoppers for eight seasons, earning eight consecutive NCAA Tournament berths, eight straight Mountain East Conference (MEC) regular season titles and a 217-37 (.854) winning percentage. His fast paced, up-tempo, full court style saw his teams average more than 27 wins per season, while typically ranking among the nation's leaders in scoring, scoring margin, assists and turnover margin. 

He left West Liberty ranked No. 2 in career wins (217) and winning percentage (.854). 

Howlett was a three-time MEC Coach of the Year and earned Atlantic District Coach of the Year honors in 2025. His 2023 squad reached the NCAA Division II National Championship game before falling to his mentor Jim Crutchfield's undefeated squad in the title game. That team closed the year at 33-4 overall and Howlett earned the Mickey Furfari Award as the West Virginia College Coach of the Year from the West Virginia Sportswriters Association.

Most recently, he led West Liberty to a 30-5 mark in 2024-25 while averaging 100.2 points per game and a +8.9 turnover margin per contest. That team shot better than 48 percent from the field and had a 2.07 assist-to-turnover ratio for the year, averaging more than 22 assists per game. Seven different Hilltoppers scored better than nine points per game and five different players made at least 50 threes for the season. 

He coached players to All-America honors seven times in eight seasons, including Dalton Bolon, who was a three-time NCAA Division II All-American. Four different players earned Academic All-America honors during his team as head coach, including Bolon, who was also a three-time Academic All-American. Bolon and Bryce Butler were each two-time Atlantic Region and Conference Players of the Year. 

As a player, Howlett was an All-Region performer for Crutchfield at West Liberty from 2005-09 and the nation’s fourth-leading scorer as a senior, averaging 23 points per game while shooting almost 60 percent from the floor He closed his collegiate career with 1,663 points and still ranks No. 18 on the program's all-time scoring list.

After graduation, he spent one season as a student assistant at West Liberty before moving to Ohio Valley University as an assistant for the 2010-11 season. He then returned to West Liberty as an assistant coach under Crutchfield for six seasons, helping lead the Hilltoppers to six NCAA Tournament berths, five Sweet Sixteens, four Elite Eights, two Final Fours and the 2014 national championship game. After Crutchfield departed for Nova Southeastern, the then 30-year old Howlett was promoted to head coach. 

Howlett, a native of Marietta, Ohio, was inducted into the Mid-Ohio Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2021. He earned his degree in physical education from West Liberty and he and his wife, Jessica, are proud parents to a daughter, Maddy. 


HOWLETT'S COACHING FILE

YEAR	SCHOOL	POSITION	REC	FINISH
2009-10	West Liberty	Student Assistant	29-3	NCAA Tourney Elite 8; WVIAC Tourney Champs
2010-11	Ohio Valley U.	Asst. Coach
2011-12	West Liberty	Asst. Coach	32-3	NCAA Tourney Elite 8; WVIAC Tourney Champs
2012-13	West Liberty	Asst. Coach	34-2	NCAA Tourney Final 4; WVIAC Tourney Champs
2013-14	West Liberty	Asst. Coach	31-4	NCAA Tourney Runner-Up; MEC Tourney Runner-Up
2014-15	West Liberty	Asst. Coach	28-4	NCAA Tourney Sweet 16; MEC Tourney Semis
2015-16	West Liberty	Asst. Coach	31-4	NCAA Tourney Final 4; MEC Tourney Semis
2016-17	West Liberty	Asst. Coach	28-4	NCAA Tourney 1st Rd.; MEC Tourney Champs
2017-18	West Liberty	Head Coach	26-4	NCAA Tourney 1st Rd.; MEC Tourney Semis
2018-19	West Liberty	Head Coach	28-5	NCAA Tourney Sweet 16; MEC Tourney Runner-Up
2019-20	West Liberty	Head Coach	27-4	NCAA Tourney 1st Rd.; MEC Tourney Champs
2020-21	West Liberty	Head Coach	18-5	NCAA Tourney Elite 8; MEC Tourney Runner-Up
2021-22	West Liberty	Head Coach	29-3	NCAA Tourney 1st Rd.; MEC Tourney Champs
2022-23	West Liberty	Head Coach	33-4	NCAA Tourney Runner-Up; MEC Tourney Champs
2023-24	West Liberty	Head Coach	26-7	NCAA Tourney 2nd Rd.; MEC Tourney Runner-Up
2024-25	West Liberty	Head Coach	30-5	NCAA Tourney Elite 8; MEC Tourney Runner-Up