Franklin Pierce University headtrack & field/cross country coach ZachEmerson announced on July 29 that HowardPowell was added to the program’s coachingstaff as an assistant coach. The hiring was made possible after theDepartment of Athletics had recently received a diversity grantfrom the NCAA, which promotes the hiring of minority candidates tohelp create more career opportunities in intercollegiateathletics.
Powell, who will work primarilywith the student-athletes in the sprints and hurdles, comes toFranklin Pierce after spending the previous two seasons in the samecapacity at Division III powerhouse Williams College.
“We are delighted to havecoach Powell join our staff,” said Emerson. “As ourever-growing roster reaches north of 100 student-athletes in justyear two, this level of additional support will help us worktowards the success that we all know is possible for FranklinPierce track & field. I am confident that coach Powell will besomeone that will make an immediate positive impact on ourdepartment, on our talented student-athletes, and throughout ourentire community here in Rindge.”
During his time in Williamstown,Powell oversaw the training of eight NCAA All-Americans, 16 NCAAnational championship qualifiers, and five school record holders. He also spent parts of the 2010 and 2011 seasons coaching atnationally-ranked Boy’s and Girl’s High School(Brooklyn, N.Y.), an institution that he is a product of.
Prior to beginning his coachingcareer, Powell was a multiple-time national qualifier and anAll-American hurdler at Wheaton College. He served as the track& field team captain, was a member of multiple studentleadership committees, and was also named the USTFCCCA NCAA DIIINew England Region Men’s Track Athlete of the Year in 2007for his outstanding performances in both the sprint and hurdleevents. Powell, a native of the Island of Jamaica, graduatedWheaton in 2010 with a degree in Psychology.
“It was clear as we had thechance to get to know Howard, as well as listen to the opinions ofthose who he has worked with in the past, that he has a maturity,passion, and knowledge for the sport of track & field thatextends well beyond his years,” Emerson said. “There isno doubt that our student-athletes will do extremely well relatingto an extremely skilled coach.”
Powell is well-known throughout thenortheast region for not only his stellar accolades, but also bybeing seen working throughout the year at multiple track &field camps and clinics. He is also a USTFCCCA certified coach.
