An Oklahoma native with a reputation for building championship-caliber teams has been tapped to lead Cameron University's softball program going into next season. Bryan Howard will begin his tenure as the Aggies' new head coach on Wednesday, according to CU athletic director Lou Izzi.

A native of Henrietta, Howard has spent the past two seasons as head coach at the Missouri University of Science and Technology.  Earlier this year, Howard led the Miners to their first-ever Great Lakes Valley Conference championship and a berth in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional by defeating the University of Indianapolis – the top-ranked team in the country – in the championship game.

"I am excited to welcome Bryan as the new head coach of the Cameron softball program," Izzi said.  "He has achieved considerable success at the NCAA Division I and II levels, as well as the high school level. 
"Bryan is a dynamic coach with a passion for excellence and a wealth of recruiting experience, particularly in Oklahoma and Texas." Izzi added.  I am impressed with his strong commitment to building student-athletes on and off the field and supporting their personal development and academic success."

Prior to his time at Missouri S&T, Howard was head coach at Connors State College in Oklahoma for three seasons and was an assistant at the University of Tulsa in NCAA Division I where he was part of the 2018 American Athletic Conference championship team.

Howard was also a highly accomplished coach in Oklahoma high school softball, compiling a record of 243-81 and winning three state championships in classes 4A, 5A and 6A.  He coached Gatorade Player of the Year Jayden Chestnut, who went on to pitch for the University of Oklahoma's national championship softball team.

Howard was a two-time state Coach of the Year in Oklahoma and was twice named regional Coach of the Year.

"I am excited and grateful for the opportunity that Lou and his staff have given me to lead a great softball program," Howard said. "I look forward to working with everyone at Cameron and building a championship-caliber team. We can't wait to build a competitive culture while watching our athletes reach new levels."

Howard holds a bachelor's degree from Northwestern State University and a master's degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.