Hampton University Athletics

HOMETOWN: Memphis, Tenn.  
EDUCATION: B.A., Memphis, 2014  
                       M.A., Bluefield, 2019  
COACHING:   G.A., Mississippi, 2014  
                       Melrose H.S., 2015-16  
                       Carver High, 2016
                       Bluefield, 2017-23  
                       Hampton, 2023- present 

Rod Howard spent six years as the defensive line coach at Bluefield before joining Coach Robert Prunty’s staff in 2023. He coaches the defensive line for the Pirates. 
 
A native of Memphis Tenn., Howard played for the Tigers under Coach Justin Fuente. 
 
He began his coaching career at Mississippi where he was a volunteer assistant, coaching special teams and linebackers. He coached in the high school ranks for three seasons before joining the Bluefield staff. 
 
Howard has the distinction of starting at least one game at the NCAA FBS (Memphis), Division II (Harding), and NAIA (Lambuth) levels. He earned a starting position on the defensive line as a freshman at Lambuth. 
  
A 2009 graduate of Kingsbury High in Memphis, Tenn., he earned all-conference and all-metro honors as a senior playing fullback and linebacker for Coach Duron Sutton. 
 
He earned his bachelor’s degree from Memphis in 2014 and a master’s degree in 2019 from Bluefield.