Adam Howard’s return to Trojan Arena
Troy men's basketball welcomed new head coach Adam Howard at the end of March earlier this year; however, this is not Howard’s first time in the Wiregrass.
Howard served as an assistant coach for Troy from 2016-2018, helping Troy reach its second-ever March Madness appearance in 2017.
“When we were here for two years, we loved the small-town feel,” Howard said. “Everything's centered around the university, and then the success that this program has had.
"In my years here, we were able to go to the NCAA tournament and understand how competitive this league is.”
Before becoming a coach, Howard grew up in Ashland, Kentucky. It was there that he developed his love for the game and started his playing career.
“Growing up in Kentucky, basketball was a big deal,” Howard said. “I grew up in eastern Kentucky in a small town where basketball meant a lot to a lot of people, and I had some good mentors.”
It was his high school coach whom he looked to impress and wanted to learn from the most.
“My high school coach was a big mentor of mine, and I always wanted to make him proud, and always wanted to be his point guard,” Howard said.
After finishing his high school career, Howard walked on at Western Kentucky, which at the time of his career, was a member of the Sun Belt. He spent all four years with the Hilltoppers, with his final season seeing the team reach the Sweet 16.
“I was a part of 96 wins in four seasons there in a really tough league, the Sun Belt,” Howard said. “That [2008] season was a culmination of four years of guys playing together.
“We had a lot of guys that were together for a long time. Some of my best friends and memories from college were from that season, but to get the chance to go play UCLA in the Sweet 16 when they had Kevin Love, Russell Russbrook, and a bunch of other Hall of Famers was a great experience.”
During his time with Western Kentucky, Howard earned three teammate of the year awards. However, his time on the court in college showed him what career he wanted to pursue after graduation.
“I think as a player, I was always a coach on the floor,” Howard said. “I loved helping make other people better, wanting to be in a locker room, wanting to be around players and help impact young people.”
After a brief few months in the world of insurance, the world of basketball called his name once again. He spent the next 17 years at eight different institutions, serving in different roles and gaining experience to help prepare him for when he would lead a team.
However, his first stop in his career was at Morehead State as a graduate assistant.
“I got to wear a million different hats,” Howard said. “I'm really blessed and fortunate that opportunity came at a place where I was the only graduate assistant, basically the only manager we had, and did everything from sweeping the floor, the laundry, film exchange and all that stuff.
“I got to learn a ton there and find out if I really wanted to do this.”
After spending time at Southern Miss, Tennessee, Troy, South Alabama and Nebraska, Howard joined the NC State coaching staff last year, where the team faced a daunting challenge.
“When we took over the job last year, we had no players on our team and had to go put together a new roster and still be competitive within our league and try to get to the NCAA tournament, which we did,” Howard said.
Stepping into his first head coaching role, Howard is not shying away from the expectations of keeping Troy a winning program but rather is embracing the community’s standard.
“Coming to work every day at Troy is just a place where we love this community and love this university,” Howard said. “The pride that you get from being a head coach and that comes from taking over a program that's had success the last couple of years; it's just that fire to wake up, to keep the program where it's been.”
While it might be his first year with the program, Howard expects the team to be in the championship picture come March.
“I'll be disappointed if we're not competing for a championship, and that may sound crazy for a first-year head coach; that may sound crazy for a guy that's got a whole new roster,” Howard said. “I think the team that we put together will have a chance to be at the top of our league.
“I'd be lying if I wasn't aggressive in the fact that I want to win a championship, keep this program right where it's at and continue to have it be one of the most respected programs in our league.”
The road to the championship starts on Monday, Nov. 2, when Troy tips off its season at Trojan Arena against UMass.
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