Howard returns to Division III
After reviewing 139 applicants and interviewing five finalists in a
national search, North Park introduced former Hardin-Simmons coach Dylan Howard as
its new head men’s basketball coach this week.
Howard, who most recently served as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Division I Mississippi Valley State for the past three years, succeeds former head coach Paul Brenegan, whose ouster as coach was not announced by the school. North Park finished the past season 11-14 overall, 4-10 in the CCIW.
“This is a significant day in Viking athletics,” stated North Park athletic director Jack Surridge. “We are thrilled that Coach Howard is joining our staff. He is a proven recruiter and program builder with a wide range of experience as a coach and player. We are confident that he will elevate the Viking men’s basketball program.”
“I am delighted that Coach Howard will be leading our men’s basketball program. He clearly understands the North Park mission and vision and brings a great deal of successful experience to our team,” stated David Parkyn, North Park's president.
Howard, a native of Fort Wayne, Ind., brings a wide array of experience to the Viking program. Before serving as an assistant at MVSU, he headed the men’s basketball program at Hardin-Simmons. During his tenure, he guided the Cowboys’ program in 2005 to their first-ever ASC tournament appearance and he was named ASC “Coach of the Year." His team earned the No. 2 ranking in the NCAA South Region when they finished with a school-record 19 wins, including 16 conference wins. In 2007 Hardin-Simmons reached the ASC tournament championship for the first time in school history. Among his other accomplishments at Hardin-Simmons, Howard had 23 players named to the Academic All-Conference team and 16 players voted to the All-West Division team. Howard’s team GPA at HSU was 2.9 and his graduation rate as a head coach over seven years was 100%.
"North Park University has one of the richest Division III traditions in the nation with five national championships, and I am thrilled to be in the Viking family. My dream has always been to get back to the Midwest where the best basketball in the nation is played, especially Chicago," Howard stated.
Prior to his successful stint at Hardin-Simmons, Howard served as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Division I Robert Morris, in 2000-01. There he was in charge of recruiting, post coaching, strength and conditioning, and scheduling. In addition Howard had a successful stint as the head assistant coach at St. Francis (Ind.), where he helped turn the program from an eight-win team in 1997 to 31 wins in 2000 and a No. 1 national ranking.
Howard played for Alabama-Birmingham under the legendary Gene Bartow where as the team captain, he led the Blazers to the 1989 NIT Final Four as well as the 1986 and 1987 NCAA tournaments. From there he went on to play professionally in the Asian Professional Basketball Association in Taipei, Taiwan, where he was a two-time All-League selection. In 2010 Howard was tapped for the "Silver Anniversary" team at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Howard and his wife, Nicole, have a daughter, Danielle Blanco, who attends Samford and is currently ranked number two in the conference in the 400-meter hurdles.
