SENATOBIA – Northwest athletic director Cameron Blount announced today the hiring of Troy Howell as the Rangers' new assistant men's and women's basketball coach. Howell replaces Shane Oakley, who coached seven seasons at Northwest and left to become the assistant men's basketball coach alongside former colleague Bubba Skelton at Jones County in early July.

"I'm excited about coming to Northwest and know the tradition of the programs," Howell said. "Having coached both women's and men's basketball while at Senatobia High School, I think that getting to come back home will be great for me. Knowing the area and a lot of coaches in the district, I think it will definitely help our recruiting efforts."

Howell spent the past five seasons as the head women's basketball coach at Rust College, an NCAA Division III member (non-scholarship) that competes in the Independent Southeast Region. He also served as the head track and baseball coach during his tenure.

Prior to Rust, Howell was a teacher and coach at Wooddale High School for one season and also spent a year at White Station HS as the head coach of the varsity girls team and as an assistant coach on the track team. His first collegiate coaching job was an assistant on the Southern Mississippi women's basketball staff during the 2004-05 season.

A familiar face around Senatobia, Howell was a physical education teacher and coach at Senatobia High School from 1993-2002. He led the Warrior boys basketball team to a division and district championship in 2002, boys tennis team to a state title in 1999 and softball team to a state title in 1995.    

A former graduate of Northwest in 2001, Howell received his bachelor's from the University of Memphis in 2003, where he also served as a manager on the women's basketball team.