James Howard was named the 10th head coach in Georgetown women’s basketball history in June 2017. He was promoted after serving as the associate head coach for two seasons. Howard returned to the Hilltop after being an assistant coach for the Blue & Gray during the 1997-98 season.
In 2018-19, Georgetown boasted a mark of 19-16 overall, going 9-9 in BIG EAST play and winning eight of its final 10 games. The team made history advancing to the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals for the second-consecutive year and made it to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) quarterfinals for the first time since 2009. Individually, Dionna White and Dorothy Adomako earned All-BIG EAST honors marking the fourth for both in their Georgetown careers.
As the head coach at Georgetown, Howard has posted two WNIT appearances as GU advanced out of the first round in both, marking the first time since 2009. The Blue & Gray has also made two-straight trips to the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals. Over the past four years, he has coached four All-BIG EAST honorees as well as boasted the 2018 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in White and the 2018 BIG EAST Most Improved Player in Cynthia Petke.
In his two previous seasons as an assistant, Howard helped the Hoyas to a 33-27 record and two-consecutive appearances in the WNIT. He coached All-BIG EAST honorees Adomako as well as White in each of the past two years on the Hilltop.
Howard came to Georgetown from Bethune-Cookman University where he spent four seasons, including three as the associate head coach. The Washington, D.C. native began there as the recruiting coordinator. He helped bring in two-time All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) honoree Kailyn Williams.
Prior to Bethune-Cookman, Howard was the recruiting coordinator and associate head coach at Howard University under former Hoya and current member of the coaching staff Niki Reid Geckeler. He went to Howard when Reid Geckeler earned the job in 2008. He remained there for three seasons, moving into the role of associate head coach during the 2010-11 season. Howard recruited the class that led the way to back-to-back 20-win seasons.
Howard began his coaching career in the men’s game as a student assistant coach at Greensboro College for two seasons (1987-89). He then served as a men’s assistant coach at Wesley College for two years, before switching to the women’s game in 1991.
Howard was the head women’s basketball coach at Wesley from 1991-97 where he was 75-69 over six seasons. Following his one-year stint at Georgetown, he served as the director of basketball operations (1998-99) at the University of Maryland before being promoted to assistant coach (1999-2000).
In 2000, he moved on to George Mason University where he was an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator for seven seasons. Howard spent one season (2007-08) at Delaware State before returning to the District to coach at Howard.
Howard is a member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and the Black Coaches Association (BCA). He was chosen by the NBA to do a coaches clinic in Bermuda and founded the first chapter of Future Farmers of America (FFA) in Washington, D.C.
He received his bachelor’s degree from Greensboro College in 1991. Howard has two grown sons, Marco and Michael. He resides in Camp Springs, Maryland and is engaged to Donna Harris.
