Mississippi State adds Anita Howard to women’s basketball coaching staff

After losing two of his assistant coaches to other Division I head coaching jobs so far this offseason, Mississippi State head coach Sam Purcell has brought in a sitting Division I head coach to join his staff.

Anita Howard, who spent the last five years as the head coach at Georgia Southern, will be an assistant coach for the Bulldogs, the MSU program announced Monday.

“Anita Howard is a phenomenal addition to this staff,” Purcell said in a news release. “She embodies all of the qualities of a proven winner; her knowledge of the game, energy and passion for our vision here are undeniable. … She has grown through the coaching ranks, excelling at each stop, and there is no doubt that her experience and tireless work ethic will make her successful once more here within our program.”

Howard compiled a 75-71 record with the Eagles, including a 21-10 campaign in 2022-23. Before that, she spent three seasons as the head coach at Division II Columbus State, where she reached the national quarterfinals in 2017. She also has had success as the head coach at Livingstone College and Salem College.

A native of Savannah, Ga., Howard played three seasons of college basketball at Fort Valley State and was named her conference’s defensive player of the year all three times. She played her final college season at Armstrong State University in her hometown of Savannah, helping lead her team to a 27-4 record.

“I am very excited to be a part of such a proud program and conference,” Howard said. “It is very clear that after I met with Coach Purcell that our values and priorities aligned. His passion for this community, program, university and his vision for what we can accomplish here are unmatched. I know that my experience and work ethic will fit right in. I look forward to not only supporting this staff, but continuing to raise the standard here.”

MSU