Steve Howes
Title:Head Men's Basketball Coach
Phone:202-319-6046

Steve Howes has led Catholic University to four post-season tournaments, three 20-win seasons, two conference championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances. And he’s done it all in just five years. With one of the top players in the Landmark Conference, a core of talented veterans and a strong recruiting class, he has the 2009-10 Cardinals poised for another headline-producing season.

Howes enters his sixth year with a mark of 92-48 and the school’s second-highest winning percentage (.657). He has the most victories after five seasons of any Cardinal basketball coach and is one of only four CUA coaches to lead his team to the NCAA playoffs. His 92 victories make him the fifth-winningest coach in CUA’s 99-year basketball history. In a four-round online poll conducted last year by The Washington Post, Howes was voted the area’s best men’s basketball coach.

After winning 10 games two years ago in their first season in the Landmark Conference, the Cardinals improved to 18-10 last season. The club’s 8-6 league record qualified it for the four-team conference tournament. After falling in the opening round, the Cards advanced to the semifinals of the ECAC South Region Championship.

Howes’ top player, sophomore Jason Banzhaf, led the Landmark in scoring (20.3 ppg) and was named first-team All-Conference, first-team All-Middle Atlantic Region (D3hoops.com) and honorable mention All-American (DIII News). He was also named to the league’s Winter All-Academic Team for his success on the court and in the classroom.

Crowning Glory

CUA, the most successful team in Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) history, punctuated its league affiliation by winning its second straight CAC championship in 2006-07. The crowning moment for Howes and the Cardinals came in an 85-75 come-from-behind victory on the road over Hood College.

The win over top-seeded Hood put the Cards (23-6) into the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time in 10 years. Howes enjoyed his first victory in the tournament with a 58-37 triumph at home over Messiah College. CUA held Messiah to the third-lowest point total in NCAA Division III tournament history.

Howes led the Cardinals to three straight CAC title games, compiled an 8-1 league tournament record and won six consecutive contests in the CAC playoffs.

Helping Players Soar

Howes’ coaching and mentoring helped a bevy of Cardinals achieve high marks athletically and academically. In 2006-07, senior Scott Fumai was named first-team All-CAC, and seniors Patrick Dwyer and Stephen Wheeler notched second-team honors. Wheeler and Fumai were named to the D3hoops.com All-Region third team.

At CUA’s Senior Student-Athlete Banquet, Wheeler received the highest honor for male graduating student-athletes by winning the Harris Cup in recognition of outstanding achievement in athletics, academics, leadership and service. Dwyer was honored as Male Senior Student Athlete of the Year, and Sean Kelly was presented a Student Athlete Advisory Committee role model award.

Wheeler, Kelly and Dwyer were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches’ (NABC) Honor Court after achieving a minimum 3.2 grade-point average. Dwyer continued his career on the professional level by playing the 2007-08 season for the Manchester (England) Magic.

Nick Olivero, who also played on the Cardinal football team, was honored as CUA’s Student-Athlete of the Year in 2006-07 and received the first John J. Convey Award. The latter is given to a sophomore who has succeeded academically, been active in student life and has demonstrated leadership potential. Olivero was selected to the 2007-08 Winter Landmark All-Academic Team.

Advancing to the Postseason

Howes earned his first CAC championship and NCAA Tournament berth in 2006 with a 79-70 victory over Salisbury University. The Cards finished 21-7 and were 10-4 in the league. Dwyer was named first-team All-CAC, while Shane Sowden garnered second-team Academic All-District 2 honors and received CUA’s Harris Cup.

Cardinal fans caught a glimpse of Howes’ coaching ability during his first year (2004-05). CUA finished 20-10 and advanced to the CAC title game, and Sowden was selected first-team All-Conference. The Cards accepted a bid to the ECAC South Region Championship and won their first two contests to advance to the championship game.

While working under his predecessor, Mike Lonergan, Howes helped build one of the nation’s top basketball programs.

Building Championship Teams

During Howes’ two tenures (1998-2000, 2001-2004) as a CUA assistant, the Cardinals amassed a record of 121-26 (.823), won five CAC regular-season titles and two CAC tournament championships. The Cards advanced to the NCAA Tournament each year, twice going to the Sweet Sixteen and once to the Elite Eight. The 2001-02 team went 26-3 to set the school’s season winning percentage record (.897). Howes has coached 10 players who have scored more than 1,000 career points.

Howes’ recruiting ability and talent-evaluation skills helped CUA land many of the top recruits that formed the nucleus of the Cardinals’ 2001 national championship team. Sophomore Matt Hilleary was named All-Tournament of the 2001 Final Four and a second-team All-American in each of his final two seasons. He played professionally in 2006-07 in Ireland and the following year in Italy. William Morley, a freshman on the title-winning team, became CUA’s first first-team All-American in 2003-04.

Grooming Professionals

Howes specializes in shooting instruction and has conducted individual workouts for many top college and professional players. Among the athletes he helped develop are Roger Mason (San Antonio Spurs); Earl Hunt (Brown University); Chris Monroe (George Washington University); Eddie Lucas, a 1999 second-round draft pick of the Utah Jazz; and James Gist, whom the Spurs selected in 2008 and played for the Italian team, Angelico Biella, last season. Monroe plays in Greece, and he and Hunt are their respective school’s all-time leading scorers.

Howes was Mason’s guest for the start of San Antonio’s 2009 training camp. Mason is in the Spurs’ 10-man rotation. Washington Wizards Vice President of Basketball Operations Tommy Sheppard also invited Howes to Washington’s 2009 rookie camp.

Howes for three seasons (1995-98) was head JV and assistant boys varsity coach at Good Counsel High School in Wheaton, Md., where he helped the Falcons achieve a local Top 20 ranking each year. He coached a host of NCAA Division I players, including Mason (University of Virginia), Monroe, Hunt, Gist (University of Maryland), Omari Isreal (Loyola University Maryland) and Gini Chukura (Maryland).

In addition, Howes worked with two players (Zach Hilton and Chas Gessner) who played in the NFL. Hilton caught 35 passes for the New Orleans Saints in 2005 and Gessner earned a Super Bowl ring with the 2003 New England Patriots.

In 1998, Howes served as an assistant in the prestigious Capital Classic high school All-Star game, which featured the Indiana Pacers’ Troy Murphy. Howes was on Lonergan’s staff for the following two seasons and then returned to Good Counsel before rejoining the Cards in 2001.

Howes and CUA Athletic Director Mike Allen joined the 2008 NBA World Champion Boston Celtics when they were honored at the White House in September 2008 by former President George W. Bush.

Coaching Tree

When Howes became the 20th head basketball coach in CUA history on July 19, 2004, he stepped into a role that has launched the careers of many successful coaches. His mentor, Lonergan, is in his fifth year as head coach at the University of Vermont. Tom Young was an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards three years ago and won more than 500 games on the college level. Jack Kvancz is George Washington’s athletic director and Bob Valvano is an ESPN broadcaster. The late Jack Bruen led Colgate University to two NCAA Division I tournaments.

Although he never coached the Cardinals, former CUA standout Jimmy Patsos followed his successful tenure as a Maryland assistant by becoming head coach at Division I Loyola University Maryland.

John Becker, one of Howes’ former assistant coaches, is now an assistant at Vermont. Two of Howes’ former Cardinal players and a manager are assistant coaches in college: Aaron Kelly (Bucknell University), Mike Wasilenko (Salisbury [Md.] University) and Andrew Gunderson (Averett University).

Terry Sullivan, who worked on Howes’ staff last year, is now a video coordinator intern for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Playing Days

After playing at Frostburg (Md.) State University from 1991-93, Howes transferred to CUA for his final two seasons. He started 14 games as a junior under Lonergan, including a 12-point, 12-rebound performance at Gettysburg College. He graduated from The Catholic University of America in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in history.

A team captain and Coach’s Award winner at Good Counsel, Howes played on a team that set the Falcons’ record for most wins up to that time. He received the school’s Christian Conduct Award as a junior and graduated in 1991.

Personal

Howes taught religion and history at Good Counsel from 1997 to 2004. He’s active in the NABC and has been a featured speaker at numerous basketball camps. He hosts a camp at CUA each summer.

Stephen Todd Howes, 36, is a native of Washington, D.C. His wife, Melanie, also graduated from Good Counsel and played varsity field hockey and soccer at Immaculata College. They live in Olney, Md., with their son, Michael Patrick, 5, and daughter, Sarah Elizabeth, 1.