ARKADELPHIA, Ark.—Luke Howard has been named Ouachita Baptist University's new head baseball coach, according to Director of Athletics David Sharp. Howard has spent the past seven years serving as the associate head coach at King University, an NCAA Division II institution in Bristol, Tenn., and a member of Conference Carolinas.
 
"We are extremely excited about Coach Howard becoming our baseball coach and leading our program," Sharp said. "His work ethic, character and experience recruiting quality student-athletes fits well with the vision we have for Ouachita Baseball."
 
"First and foremost, I would like to thank God for this opportunity," Howard said. "His guiding hand has been ever present during this entire process. Secondly, my wife, who has supported my coaching journey every step of the way and is the best mom to our two sons."
 
Howard is leaving a program that competes in a conference with three teams ranked in the final American Baseball Coaches Association Top 30 Poll. He was a three-year letterman as a pitcher for the Purdue University Boilermakers and concluded his collegiate career lettering for the Ohio University Bobcats. He was a three-sport athlete in Springboro, Ohio, where he is a member of the Springboro High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
 
His coaching career has included stints at the University of Cincinnati, Murray State University and three years as assistant coach at Ouachita. As recruiting coordinator at Ouachita, he was instrumental in recruiting four players who went on to sign professional contracts, including Keegan Ghidotti (Baltimore Orioles) and Davis Ward (St. Louis Cardinals).
 
"I have been blessed to work with Coach Howard for the last seven years," said Head Coach Blaine Brown of King University. "Our program has seen unbelievable success because of his recruiting efforts and his development of players. He has a knack for getting the most out of his players.
 
Howard "is a tireless worker on the recruiting trail and his genuine personality shines throughout the process," Brown added. "His leadership of our players in the classroom, on the field and in the community guided our efforts of maintaining a team cumulative GPA of over 3.0 for nine consecutive semesters, and our teams have won the Conference Carolinas Baseball Sportsmanship Award four of the last seven years."
 
Howard expressed appreciation to Ouachita President Ben Sells and Coach Sharp "for believing in my vision and entrusting the Ouachita Baseball program to my leadership. It is my vision for this baseball program to both win games on the field and teach young men how to succeed and prepare for the game of the life.
"I will instill a culture of well-rounded young men," Howard explained. "It is my goal that when people watch the Ouachita baseball team play, they see a group of relentless young men and coaches who are all pulling the rope in the same direction."
 
"Coach Howard will go to work immediately," Sharp noted. "He is very connected in the states of Arkansas and Texas, and has recruiting ties throughout the country. He loves to recruit, and that is the lifeblood of any program."
 
Howard and his wife, Annie, are the parents of two sons, Drew, 7, and Will, 4. "While we know we have a lot of hard work ahead of us, my familiarity with the school and people within the Ouachita community will make this transition a smooth one," Howard said. "I am excited to hit the ground running and my staff and I will work tirelessly to give the Ouachita Baseball family, past, present and future, a program of which they feel proud to be a part."
 
 
 
What others are saying about new Ouachita Head Baseball Coach Luke Howard:
 
"Ouachita has hit a home run with the hire of Luke Howard. Luke has demonstrated the ability not only to develop talent at a high level, but also to recruit at a very high level. Luke not only develops highly skilled baseball players, but also develops young men who make a positive impact on and off the field and earn their degree. This is a great hire for Ouachita."
 
Wes Johnson
Pitching Coach
University of Arkansas
 
 
"I'm very excited for Luke. He is a leader of men who has worked hard every step of the way to achieve his goals. He started out working for no money, kept his head down and worked camps all over the country to make ends meet. He is a good baseball guy, but more importantly, he is a modest, great person. Luke is a great addition to the Ouachita Baptist community, and the Tigers baseball program is in great hands."
 
Brad Meador
Regional Cross Checker Scout
Cincinnati Reds
 
 
"First and foremost, I must congratulate Ouachita Baptist University on hiring one of the best young coaches that I have been associated with in quite a number of years. Coach Howard will most certainly field a team of very talented young men who will display a high level of character wherever they go whether it be in the community, classroom or on the field."
 
Carl Lancaster
Head Baseball Coach
University of Mount Olive
31 years as Head Coach
1,131-483 Career Record
One of 14 NCAA Division II Coaches to win 1,000 games