Adam Howard was a key part of Fred Hoiberg's Nebraska basketball staff right up until this past season. Now the former Husker assistant has his first head coaching job ironically enough, it just happens to be with Troy, the school that Hoiberg's squad beat down for NU's first ever NCAA Tournament win.
Howard, considered one of the top assistant coaches in the country, was named the Trojans' head coach on Sunday. He replaces Scott Cross, who did battle with the Huskers in the first round, hoping to get Troy's first tournament win. Not long after NU defeated Cross's team, he jumped ship to Georgia Tech.
Howard did spend a year in the ACC most recently. After three years with Nebraska, he signed on with Will Wade's North Carolina State squad for the 2025-26 season. Howard will begin his second stint as a Trojan, having served as an assistant coach with Troy from 2016-18, where he helped guide the Trojans to their first NCAA appearance in almost 15 years.
Former Nebraska basketball assistant Adam Howard takes over as Troy head coach
He also knows the Sun Belt well as he spent his playing days as a point guard for Western Kentucky. He played with the Hilltoppers from 2004-to-2008 and played on three teams that advanced to postseason play. WKU went to the NIT in 2005 and 2006, and the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament 2008. The 2008 team defeated Drake and San Diego in the first two rounds before falling to eventual Final Four participant UCLA. WKU won 96 games during his career, during which he received the Danny Rumph Most Outstanding Teammate award three times.
He started his coaching career in 2009 with Morehead State and moved his way up the ranks. He signed with Nebraska in 2022 and coached with Hoiberg's squad until 2025. Now, after working with some of the best coaches in the game, he'll get to forge his own path.
"This is an exciting day as we continue ourchampionship momentum for the Troy men's basketball program," Troy athletic director Kyle George said of the former Nebraska basketball assistant. "We are excited to bring Adam and his family back to Troy. Adam is one of the top tactical minds in college basketball and has a proven track record of success throughout his career. His ability to navigate the evolving landscape of college athletics will be paramount to our continued success. Adam is an elite tactician on both sides of the ball and comes highly recommended from elite coaches."