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Howard's Honors
1993 NCAA National Assistant Coach of the Year
As Nebraska’s top assistant, Jim Howard has joined Francis Allen in putting great gymnastics teams on the floor for a combined total of over 60 years.
It’s a partnership that began in 1963 when Howard and Allen helped the Huskers win back-to-back conference titles under legendary head coach Jake Geier. As a senior, Howard and Allen co-captained the Huskers to a 7-2-1 record and a third-place finish in the Big Eight Conference.
An excellent technician, Howard plays a vital role in keeping Nebraska at the forefront of college gymnastics. Since Howard’s arrival in 1976, Nebraska has captured 14 conference titles, including Mountain Pacific Sports Federation titles in 1997 and 1999, and has helped the program garner 41 NCAA individual titles.
In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Howard has extensive international coaching experience. He served as the head coach for the 1991 Pan American Games and was the team head coach for the 1983 World University Games. As an assistant, he helped guide the 1987 Pan American Games and the 1985 U.S. World Championships teams.
Howard was elected the first president of the U.S. Elite Gymnastics Coaches Association and has served as the men’s vice president of the U.S. Gymnastics Federation. In addition, Howard was tabbed as the NCAA Midwest Regional Coach of the Year in 1985, and the 1993 NCAA Assistant Coach of the Year. He was also named the 1987 and 1988 USGF Coach of the Year. In 1999 Howard was selected as an Honor Coach Award recipient by the College Gymnastics Association for his contributions to the sport of gymnastics at both the collegiate and international levels.
Before returning to Nebraska, Howard served as head coach at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse from 1966 to 1976. During that time, his teams won three NAIA national championships, while he compiled a 123-19 career record and was named NAIA Coach of the Year on three occasions. In 1995, Howard was inducted into the Wisconsin-La Crosse Hall of Fame.