With a career coaching record of 1003-307 (.766) and a total of 12 Georgia high school state championships, Bobby Howard has distinguished himself as one of the most successful high school baseball coaches of all time. Howard is currently the head coach at St Anne-Pacelli Catholic School in Columbus, Georgia, after taking over the program in 2018. Prior to, Howard spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons as the head coach at Central High School in Phenix City, Alabama, where he led his teams to back-to-back area playoff appearances, including a 2016 7-A region championship.
Prior to his time at Central, Howard spent 31 seasons as the head coach at Columbus High School in Columbus, Georgia, where he racked up 12 state championships and seven state runner-up finishes to go along with 29 region championships. In 2004 and 2012, his teams finished the season ranked No. 2 in all national polls.
The 11-time State Coach of the Year was recognized as the ABCA/Diamond Sports National High School Coach of the Year in 2000, as well as an ABCA/Diamond Sports Regional Coach of the Year in 2000, 2005 and 2012. He was also named USA Today’s 2004 National High School Coach of the Year and ESPN’s National High School Coach of the Year in 2012.
In 2005, Howard was selected to serve as the head coach of the Aflac East High School All-America team, where he had the opportunity to coach the best high school players in the country.
Howard has coached several players who have gone to play professional baseball, including MLB Hall of Famer Frank Thomas. Among Howard’s other former players to make it to the Major League Level are Garey Ingram, Reggie Abercrombie and Willie Harris.
As a coach, Howard is a member of the Georgia Dugout Club Sports Hall of Fame, the Chattahoochee Valley Sports Hall of Fame and the Sunbelt Classic Hall of Fame. He has also been inducted into the Columbus State University and Jordan High School Halls of Fame as a player.
The Jordan High School graduate has coached at several other schools including his alma mater Jordan High, Chattahoochee Valley Community College, Kendrick High School and Middle Georgia College. In his lone year at Middle Georgia, Howard led his team to a 1997 state championship.
The 40-year Lifetime ABCA Member has been a featured speaker at the ABCA Convention and has spoken at several state coaching clinics across the South. Howard has also served the National High School Baseball Coaches Association for five years as a member of the Southeast All-Region and All-America Committee.
