Savannah State hires veteran coach to lead Tiger football program

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Savannah State has hired Thomas Howard as the Tiger football coach, the school announced Monday.

Howard is a veteran college coach taking on his first head coaching job. Last season, he was the defensive coordinator at Fayetteville State University, where he helped lead the Broncos to a 6-4 record, including a 6-1 mark in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

A graduate of Morehouse College in the Class of 2003, Howard was a team captain for two seasons with the Maroon Tigers. He was named the program’s Most Improved Player as a junior and earned the team’s Defensive Back of the Year award as a senior. He majored in early childhood development. He was a standout in his prep playing days at Riverdale High School.

“This is a new chapter, not just for me, but for every SSU student athlete, fan and supporter,” Howard said in a press release issued by SSU’s Athletic Department. “I’m truly blessed and excited to join this institution, community and fanbase Now it’s time to get to work and put the program back on top.”

Before his time at Fayetteville State, Howard served as the defensive coordinator at Alabama A&M and at South Carolina State University. He also had coaching stints at North Carolina A&T, where he played a part in four HBCU National Championship teams, and at the University of Findlay, Lincoln (Mo.), Slippery Roc and Allen University.

Howard replaces Tiger coach Aaron Kelton, who stepped down in November after four seasons leading the program. SSU went 4-6 last season and was 16-24 overall and 11-20 in SIAC play during his tenure.

Thomas is the 28th head coach in SSU’s history.

“We are excited to welcome Coach Howard to Savannah State,” SSU President Jermaine Whirl said in the press release. “His leadership, defensive expertise, and commitment to developing student-athletes align perfectly with our vision for the future of Tiger football.”

Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah State hires Thomas Howard as Tiger’s new football coach

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