Washington Wizards: Josh Howard On His Playing Career, Coaching and More

Washington Wizards: Josh Howard, former NBA All-Star, is now the head coach of Piedmont International University. His playing days, though, are likely over.

On Feb. 18, 2007, Josh Howard walked onto the Thomas and Mack Center floor in Las Vegas as a first-time NBA All-Star.

Mike D’Antoni, who replaced Howard’s coach, Avery Johnson, was leading the Western Conference All-Star team. Roughly a decade later, the former Washington Wizards forward finds himself in a similar position – on the sideline.

Howard was traded by the Mavericks to the Wizards in 2010 in a deal that netted Dallas three of Washington’s starters, Caron Butler, DeShawn Stevenson and Brendan Haywood.

The Wizards’ plans to rebuild with Howard were quickly put on hold.

In his fourth game with the Wizards, Howard tore his ACL. In the following season, he appeared in just 18 games.

Since then, Howard has bounced around the league, playing for the Utah Jazz in 2011 and Minnesota Timberwolves in 2012. Howard’s last playing days happened in the NBA Developmental League with the Austin Toros.

Coaching, though, appears to be where Howard believes his basketball career will continue.

A Winston-Salem native, Howard recently accepted the head coaching position at Piedmont International University.

“I’m pretty far gone from my playing days. It was time for me to pass along the knowledge that I’ve gained throughout the years,” Howard said in a phone interview. “It was time to pass that along to the youth and give them an opportunity to grow from my experience.”

Howard, 36, recognizes that his role as a veteran or mentor could be utilized in a greater capacity than on the NBA hardwood.

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The youth in his hometown will be able to pick his brain about basketball, and more importantly, about his growth as an individual

“It’s because of my foundation. I started an after school program that’s been going for three years, and I’ve also done some work with the government and the feeding program down in Dallas,” Howard said.

“This is something that’s always been in my heart, as far as mentoring goes. Coaching is just another avenue to get my message across.”

PIU, last year’s regional champions, found Howard through his philanthropic acts and a family member with connections to the school.

“One of my cousins actually played on that championship team. Me and the President of Piedmont; we linked up, as far as me doing community work in Winston-Salem. We started going around the city to colleges like Wake Forest and Piedmont. We just communicated like that,” Howard said.

“It was around the same time the head coach stepped down. He just asked my friend, my friend relayed the message to me and I prayed on it. God answered my prayers and I went ahead to accept the position.”

In just a few months, Howard will have the opportunity to coach against his alma mater, Wake Forest, in a game that was scheduled prior to him even accepting the job.

“It’s surreal, man. It’s almost like a sign from heaven. It was a message for me to accept the challenge. I’m excited about the opportunity and it’s just a blessing that I’m able to do this,” Howard said.

Coached by the likes of Don Nelson, Rick Carlisle and the late Flip Saunders, Howard has turned his attention to blossoming as a coach, but he is leaving the door open for a potential NBA return in a different capacity.

“I want to be the best coach I can be. I’ve had some great coaches that were great leaders in my career. I’m definitely taking pages out of their books. I’m just doing what I can to help these young men grow,” Howard said. “I see it as a long term thing. I’ve also always kind of wanted to be in the front office in the NBA, so you never know if I get back in the NBA that way. I want to enjoy this moment of being a head coach.”

The former All-Star and ACC Player of the Year had a lengthy and productive career in both the collegiate and professional levels, but it wasn’t without controversy.

In 2008, Howard was recorded expressing negative thoughts about the National Anthem, creating a firestorm for both the NBA and the media. Today, Howard’s controversy remains relevant in the light of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refusing to stand for the anthem.

“It’s his choice to say what he wants to say. When I did that, I had to deal with the consequences. Those things are behind me,” Howard said. “All I can do is wish everybody in the world the best. My main focus is on Piedmont and becoming the best mentor and leader they can have. I want to push them in the right direction and help the young men.”

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Howard’s first game as head coach of PIU will be on Nov. 11 against Forrest Trails Sports University. The accolades, the controversy and his playing days appear to be a thing of the past. Now, Howard has his eyes set on one thing: excelling as a head coach for his hometown’s team.