Ashley Howard, who played a pivotal role in helping guide Villanova teams that won a pair of NCAA national championships in 2016 and 2018, is returning to the Wildcats as an Assistant Coach on the staff of Head Coach Kyle Neptune, it was announced today. He fills the void created by the departure of George Halcovage, who was recently named Head Coach at the University of Buffalo.
A native of Philadelphia, Howard spent five seasons from 2013-18 working alongside Neptune for Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Head Coach Jay Wright. In that span, Villanova earned four BIG EAST regular season titles, three BIG EAST Tournament crowns and posted an overall record of 165-21 (.887). Among the Wildcats Howard helped tutor were Ryan Arcidiacono, 2017 Julius Erving Award winner Josh Hart, 2018 Erving Award winner Mikal Bridges and 2018 National Player of the Year Jalen Brunson.
“To bring a coach of Ashley’s caliber back to Villanova is a great boost to our team,” stated Neptune. “Ashley is an accomplished teacher and recruiter who played a critical role in the success this program enjoyed during the last decade. As a born and raised Philadelphian, he has deep ties to our basketball community. It’s an honor to welcome Ash, Arianna, Journey, and Ace back to the Villanova family.”
Following the 2017-18 season, Howard was named the Head Coach at La Salle University where he served four seasons. In 2019-20 the Explorers were building momentum, winning four of six against Atlantic 10 opponents and closed the regular season with a nine point win over rival Saint Joseph’s before the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly halted a 15-15 campaign.
Prior to Villanova, Howard accrued a decade’s worth of college coaching experience at three different stops. He began his coaching career as a student assistant coach at his alma mater, Drexel University, in 2002 after injury cut short his playing career for the Dragons.
In 2004, following graduation, Howard was hired as an assistant coach at La Salle by Dr. John Giannini. He spent four years with the Explorers before returning to Drexel in 2008 as an assistant coach to James “Bruiser” Flint. He was part of a staff that led the Dragons to consecutive 20-win seasons, including a school record 29 victories in 2011-12.
In 2012-13, Howard served as an assistant at Xavier University before landing back in the Delaware Valley at Villanova.
Howard, who graduated from Drexel in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in communications, is the son of Maurice Howard and Diane Coleman. Maurice played college basketball at the University of Maryland and was a second round draft choice of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.
Ashley Howard starred at Monsignor Bonner High School in Lansdowne, Delaware County, where he scored 41 points in a game and averaged 23.8 points per game as a senior. He is married to Ariana Casanovas and has a daughter, Journey, and a son, Ace.
