Ashley Howard (basketball)
{{short description|American college basketball coach}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Ashley Howard
| image = Ashleyhoward.png
| alt =
| caption = Howard with the 2016 NCAA championship trophy
| current_title = Assistant Coach
| current_team = Villanova
| current_conference = Big East Conference
| contract =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater =
| player_years1 = 1999–2002
| player_team1 = Drexel
| player_positions = Point guard
| coach_years1 = 2004–2008
| coach_team1 = La Salle (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 2008–2012
| coach_team2 = Drexel (assistant)
| coach_years3 = 2012–2013
| coach_team3 = Xavier (assistant)
| coach_years4 = 2013–2018
| coach_team4 = Villanova (assistant)
| coach_years5 = 2018–2022
| coach_team5 = La Salle
| coach_years6 = 2023–present
| coach_team6 = Villanova (assistant)
| overall_record = {{winpct|45|70|record=y}}
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record =
| championships =
| coaching_records =
}}
Ashley Howard is an American college basketball coach, currently serving as an assistant coach at Villanova University, in his second stint with the program.{{Cite web |title=Ashley Howard - Men's Basketball Coach |url=https://villanova.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/ashley-howard/4077 |access-date=2024-02-08 |website=Villanova University |language=en}} He was the head men's basketball coach at La Salle University, a position he held from 2018 to 2022.
Background
Howard's parents are Maurice Howard and Diane Coleman, the former of who played college basketball at the University of Maryland, and was a second round draft choice of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers in 1976. He also played for the New Orleans Jazz.{{cite web|title=Ashley Howard|url=http://www.villanova.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/ashley_howard_847282.html|publisher=Villanova|accessdate=12 February 2015}} According to Chris Mack, Xavier head coach, Howard has "been around the game his entire life. He is a tireless worker and will bring energy every single day to the practice floor. He's worked with countless pros even before he hit the college floor in a coaching capacity. It was very evident in talking to some of his former players that Ashley deeply impacts the players he coaches."{{cite web|title=Ashley Howard |url=http://www.goxavier.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/howard_ashley00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018111658/http://www.goxavier.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/howard_ashley00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 October 2012 |publisher=Xavier |accessdate=12 February 2015 }}
Education
Howard graduated from Monsignor Bonner High School. He graduated from Drexel University with a degree in communications in 2004.{{cite web|title=Ashley Howard|url=http://www.villanova.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/ashley_howard_847282.html|publisher=Villanova|accessdate=12 February 2015}}
Basketball career
Howard averaged 8.9 points and a team-high 4.9 assists per game with the Drexel Dragons. Howard was a guard for the team between 1999 and 2002, only stopping due to an injury. At that point he became a student assistant coach at Drexel University until 2003. He was co-director of the Eastern Invitational Basketball Camp. In 2004 he became head coach John Giannini's assistant at La Salle Explorers. In 2006 he was an assistant coach of the Jamaica National team, accompanying the squad on its Olympic qualifying bid in Kingston. In 2008 he went back to Drexel as assistant coach to Bruiser Flint.{{cite web|last1=J|first1=Mike|title=Villanova Hires Xavier Assistant Ashley Howard|url=http://www.vuhoops.com/villanova-basketball/2013/5/22/4357946/villanova-assistant-coach-candidate-xaviers-ashley-howard|accessdate=12 February 2015}}
=Villanova=
Howard joined the Villanova basketball staff in June 2013 and has played a key role as the program has posted more than 140 victories, four Big East regular season titles and two NCAA national championships in that stretch.
Villanova head coach Jay Wright said: "We're proud to have Ashley join our Villanova Basketball family. I have known Ashley since he was a high school player. He has deep roots in Philadelphia's basketball tradition and gained an appreciation for the Augustinian values during his days as a student at Monsignor Bonner High School. He will take great pride in representing Villanova."{{cite web|title=Villanova adds Ashley Howard as assistant coach |url=http://www.csnphilly.com/ncaa/villanova-adds-ashley-howard-assistant-coach |publisher=CSNPhilly |accessdate=12 February 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212182958/http://www.csnphilly.com/ncaa/villanova-adds-ashley-howard-assistant-coach |archivedate=12 February 2015 }}
Howard earned two NCAA Division 1 men's basketball tournament titles with Villanova in 2016 and again in 2018.
=La Salle=
Howard was considered a top candidate for La Salle University's head coaching job.{{Cite web|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/colleges/la_salle/la-salle-basketball-coaching-search-ashley-howard-tim-legler-john-giannini-20180405.html|title = La Salle coaching search nearing finish line}} On April 8, 2018, La Salle announced him as the next head coach of the Explorers, succeeding his former boss John Giannini.{{cite news |title=La Salle names Ashley Howard new head coach |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/23081918/la-salle-explorers-hire-villanova-wildcats-assistant-ashley-howard-coach |accessdate=November 21, 2020 |work=ESPN |date=April 8, 2018}} During his first season, the Explorers finished 10–21. Howard guided the team to a 15–15 record in the 2019–20 season.{{cite news |last1=Holmes |first1=C.J. |title=La Salle is building a culture as it looks to move up in the Atlantic 10 |url=https://theathletic.com/2162469/2020/10/30/la-salle-explorers-ashley-howard-atlantic-10/ |accessdate=November 21, 2020 |work=The Athletic |date=October 30, 2020}} Howard was fired in 2022 after an 11–19 season.{{cite news |last1=Borzello |first1=Jeff |title=La Salle Explorers fire men's basketball coach Ashley Howard after four seasons |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/33563714/la-salle-explorers-fire-men-basketball-coach-ashley-howard-four-seasons |access-date=March 21, 2022 |work=ESPN |date=March 21, 2022}}
Personal life
Howard married Ariana Casanovas in August 2017. Howard's daughter, Journey, was born in 2014.
Head coaching record
{{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = | conference = | postseason = | poll = }}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = La Salle Explorers
| conference = Atlantic 10 Conference
| startyear = 2018
| endyear = 2022
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2018–19
| name = La Salle
| overall = 10–21
| conference = 8–10
| confstanding = 9th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2019–20
| name = La Salle
| overall = 15–15
| conference = 6–12
| confstanding = T–10th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2020–21
| name = La Salle
| overall = 9–16
| conference = 6–11
| confstanding = 12th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2021–22
| name = La Salle
| overall = 11–19
| conference = 5–13
| confstanding = T–12th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = La Salle
| overall = {{winpct|45|71|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{winpct|25|46|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
| overall = {{winpct|45|71|record=y}}
| legend = no
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20180707040039/https://goexplorers.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1308&path=mbball La Salle profile]
- [http://www.villanova.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/ashley_howard_847282.html Villanova profile]
{{navboxes|list=
{{La Salle Explorers men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{2016 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball navbox}}
{{2018 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball navbox}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, Ashley}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Basketball coaches from Pennsylvania
Category:Basketball players from Philadelphia
Category:College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
Category:Drexel Dragons men's basketball players
Category:La Salle Explorers men's basketball coaches