Kevin Howell, Sr. enters his sixth season on the track & field/cross country staff at Shaw University. The 2022 season was his first as interim head coach.
Under his direction as interim coach, Shaw accomplished several achievements in the 2022-23 season. Its most impressive accolades were in cross country as the men’s team took home the CIAA conference 8K runner-up trophy and the women’s team claimed the CIAA 5K third-place trophy. Individually, Michelle Blaha captured her second straight CIAA women’s title followed by Thea Schillaci, who finished second. Overall, Shaw produced six all-conference runners (three men and three women) at the CIAA championship meet.
The program’s success carried over into the 2023 women’s outdoor track & field season. The Lady Bears placed a surprising fourth in the CIAA championship meet with two individuals winning CIAA crowns in their respective events. Kamille Patrick won the javelin throw and Symone Wright was first in the 400-meter hurdles, besting her school record in the process. She would break the 400 hurdles mark again a week later.
The duo led the Lady Bears to their best finish since 2018 as Shaw bounced back from a last-place finish a year ago. Wright was outstanding individually as she scored the most points at the meet (men and women).
A veteran track & field and cross country coach, Howell has excelled on the high school, collegiate and national development levels for over 25 years.
Before arriving at Shaw, Howell was the sprints and hurdles coach at Fayetteville State University in the 2017-18 season. With his coaching expertise, he helped lead the Broncos to a CIAA women’s cross country title in 2017, their first of six straight. The squad fielded mostly freshmen, and the coaches only had two months to prepare with no recruits.
Howell also sparkled as a high school coach. When he was sprints and hurdles coach at Cary High School from 2012 to 2014, the Imps went from 25th in the state to second before Howell headed to Clayton High School for four years. Cary won two consecutive conference crowns during his tenure there for the first time in 22 years.
As sprints and hurdles coach at Clayton High School, Howell helped the boys’ and girls’ teams qualify for the regional championship meets. In his first year at Clayton, one male 100-meter sprinter and the women’s 4x200 relay team qualified for the prestigious New Balance High School Nationals.
In addition to coaching at Shaw, Howell is also the head coach at Corinth Holders High School, a position he has held since 2020.
A Savannah, Ga., native, Howell started his track & field prep coaching career at Southeast Raleigh High School during the 2011-12 season. As assistant girls sprint coach, he took the girls 4x100 team to the Penn Relays, and that same squad (all freshmen) captured the state title in the event.
In addition to coaching at various high schools and universities, Howell is the founder of the Savannah Speed Track & Field Club, currently in its eighth year. He also coached sprints for the Carolina Eagles Track & Field Club (1998-2005) and continues to coach sprints for the Track Xplosion Track & Field Club (2005-present).
A U.S. Navy Veteran, Howell is a USA Track & Field Level 1 Certified Coach. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in business with a concentration in Project Management at the University of Phoenix in 2015.
