Prior to coaching, Howard played collegiate ball for Eastern New Mexico (2001-04) as a linebacker and was a 4-time Academic All-Lone Star Conference member. He earned 1st Team All-Lone Star Conference honors in 2003 and 2004. Howard had his jersey retired by ENMU in 2006 and entered their Hall of Honor in 2011.
Howard transitioned from playing to coaching and landed a position on the Odessa Permian High School coaching staff, responsible for defensive backs and linebackers. During the time under head coach Darren Allman and defensive assistant Howard, the Panthers claimed the District 2-6A title in 2007 (12-1, 5-0) and again in 2008 (12-1, 9-0). Before the 2009 began, Allman departed for Austin Westlake to take the head coaching position for the Chaps.
Howard stayed on as a defensive assistant when Gary Gaines stepped down from his ECISD Athletic Director post to return to Permian for a second tenure as head coach. The Panthers would go 7-2 in district (8-4 overall) and reached the Area Round of the state playoffs in 2009.
Howard was offered a job at Texas Tech following the 2010 Mojo football season. He started in the summer of 2011 as an offensive assistant working with the offensive line, then moved to the defensive side of the ball to serve in the defensive quality control role. Howard coached the Red Raider safeties in 2012.
The successful defensive assistant was given his break into the National Football League. Leslie Frazier recruited Howard to join the Minnesota Vikings staff in 2013. He would spend seven season there before heading to Cleveland in 2020 to join the Browns coaching staff. He also spent the 2023 season with the Los Angeles Chargers.
In February 2024, he was hired as the safeties coach for the Seahawks under new head coach Mike Macdonald. In the 2025 season, Seattle achieved a 14–3 record, the best regular season record in franchise history, won the NFC West, and held the #1 seed in the conference throughout the playoffs. The Seahawks defense finished the regular season with a league-low 17.2 points allowed per game. The dominant Seattle secondary under Howard ranked in the top five in interceptions this season.
This Super Bowl will indeed have a little Mojo on the Seahawks sideline. Seattle is a 4.5 point favorite as they look to prove ‘Defense Win Championships’.
Go 12s. Good luck Coach Howard …and MOJO!
Story by Terry Alan
