CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College football team landed their fourth new staff member of the week on Friday afternoon, with recently-appointed head coach Matt Rahl introducing Del Howard as the Safeties and Special Teams Coach.

A former student-athlete at the University of Missouri in the late 2000's during Rahl's days as a Graduate Assistant there, Howard accepts the PC position after spending the last two seasons coaching defensive backs at Angelo State.

"I have followed Del's career for many years and was thrilled to be able to hire him on my initial staff", commented Rahl. "Coach Howard has a strong reputation as someone who pours into his players, builds meaningful relationships, and is an excellent recruiter."

Howard has coached the defensive side of the ball for the past 16 seasons, helping take Angelo State to the NCAA Division II Playoffs in 2024 and being a part of four separate campaigns with eight-plus wins during his journey.


 
Angelo State (2024-25)

 
- The last two seasons of ASU football were very successful with Howard directing the secondary, taking the Rams to the postseason two years ago thanks to a nine-game winning streak.

- Angelo State ranked 10^th in the country and led the Lone Star Conference with 25 takeaways in Howard's first year, holding opponents' quarterbacks to a collective efficiency rating of 98.84 which ranked 9^th nationally.

- The 2024 Rams displayed the sixth-best scoring defense in all of D-II, never letting anyone surpass 21 points all year. Angelo State did not give up more than 10 points per game during a stretch of five straight W's, entering the Playoffs with the #16 national ranking.

- Howard's unit ranked 10^th in the country for defending the pass in year one (141 yards per contest). Andrew Pitts and Xavier Walton were both named LSC Defensive Back of the Year in consecutive seasons, with the former also being chosen for All-America.

- In Howard's two seasons with the Rams, Angelo State had eight defensive players voted All-Conference.


 
Abilene Christian & Coffeyville (2018-23)

 
- Before his time at ASU, he charted five seasons at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas where he also coached defensive backs and was the co-recruiting coordinator.

- The Red Ravens improved their overall record in four straight years while Howard was on staff, culminating in an 8-3 ledger for the 2022 campaign. Three of Coffeyville's defenders were named All-Conference First Team that fall, headlined by All-American and KJCCC Player of the Year Bishop Fitzgerald.

- Coffeyville picked off 16 passes and recovered 12 fumbles in 2022, allowing opponents to rush for only 112 yards per game. Nine of the Red Ravens' 11 combatants failed to reach 20 points.

- Amir Renwick and Zah Frazier grabbed All-America Second Team and honorable mention nods during Howard's time there, aiding Coffeyville to a combined 14-6 record in 2021 and 2022.

- Howard had his first stab at the FCS level in 2018 as the assistant defensive backs coach at Abilene Christian. In that window, the Wildcats ranked 14^th nationally in defending the run (113 yards per game) and only allowed a successful fourth-down conversion 26 percent of the time which ranked sixth in the country.

- ACU reeled off four victories in a row toward the late stages of Howard's lone season, including a 17-10 triumph against future FBS member Sam Houston State on the road. Adonis Davis was named All-Southland honorable mention.


 
OD Prep & Lyon (2014-17)

 
- Prior to Abilene Christian, Howard coached at Division III Lyon College in Arkansas. He began that role as strictly the DB's coach, but was later promoted to Associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

- The Scots dramatically improved their overall standing with every season that Howard served his duties, going from a winless season to a winning record in just three years.

- Highlights of the '17 trek include a 28-7 victory over Missouri Baptist, a 61-0 final against Trinity Bible, a 41-3 blowout over Texas College, and a 21-14 outcome versus Texas Wesleyan.

- Stephen Benedik and Tre Hawkins were each selected to the All-CSFL First Team lineup, while Xavier Story and Cedrick Cooney landed Second Team shoutouts.

- Before going to Lyon, Howard spent the 2014 season as the Defensive Coordinator at OD Prep in Oklahoma City.


 
Memphis & Wisconsin-Stout (2012-13)
 

- Prior to OD Prep, Howard coached cornerbacks at another D-III institution, the University of Wisconsin-Stout, in 2013. There, the Blue Devils finished in the top four of the WIAC in red zone defense (78 percent).

- Wisconsin-Stout won the first two games of Howard's tenure against Dakota Wesleyan and Jamestown, adding two more wins opposite UW-Eau Claire and UW-River Falls.

- Before the Blue Devils, Howard was a member of Justin Fuente's inaugural staff at the University of Memphis in 2012.

- He assisted the defensive line at Memphis, as the Tigers finished the campaign with three successive victories against Southern Miss, UAB, and Tulane.

- The 2012 Memphis front ranked third in C-USA with 28 sacks, also placing third in the division by allowing just 138 rushing yards per appearance. Their 77 tackles-for-a-loss were good enough to land in the nationwide top 40.


 
Missouri (Player, then Coach)…2006-11

 
- Howard cut his teeth in the coaching industry at Mizzou, serving as a defensive Graduate Assistant under notable head coach Gary Pinkel in 2010 and 2011.

- The Tigers, who were sensational during Howard's playing career, combined for an 18-8 record in his first two seasons in the coaching realm. The 2010 unit was undefeated through the first seven games, reaching as high as #7 in the AP Poll after downing #3 Oklahoma.

- Missouri's average margin of victory was 20 points as they secured a 10-2 regular season record, advancing to the Insight Bowl and ending the year at #18.

- Howard's final year at Mizzou (2011) ended with a four-game winning streak and a 17-point W over North Carolina in the Independence Bowl. The Tigers bounced #16 Texas A&M and #21 Texas at the midway portion of the schedule.

- Del contributed to 38 total wins as a player in Columbia, compiling 81 tackles along with two pass deflections and two interceptions (both picks came during his freshman season in 2006).

- He scattered 69 of his 81 tackles while Rahl was a GA, aiding a program that never won fewer than eight games while he suited up.

- Howard snagged his two INT's during wins over New Mexico and Ole Miss. Missouri assembled a then-program record 12 wins when he was a sophomore, becoming the #1 team in the AP rankings for the first time since the 1960's.

- The Tigers made it to the Big 12 Championship Game in both 2007 and 2008, defeating #25 Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl Classic and then winning the Alamo Bowl over #22 Northwestern in those campaigns.

- As a player, Howard's Mizzou clubs spent 37 weeks in the Associated Press top-25. He won 70 percent of games played as both an athlete and coach at his alma mater.