Frank Howell will move to the college ranks

CEDAR RAPIDS — Frank Howell is off to pursue 'a lifelong dream.'

After leading Cedar Rapids Washington to winning seasons in all of his 13 years as the girls' basketball coach, Howell submitted his resignation Monday after accepting the head-coaching position with the Graceland University women's program.

'I'm at the time of my life that if I don't make the leap, it's not going to happen,' said Howell, 46. 'I would wonder what might have been, and I didn't want to do that.'

Graceland is located in Lamoni (along the Missouri border just off Interstate 35). Its athletics programs are NAIA Division I and members of the Heart of America Conference. Howell has a major building project on his hands; the Yellow Jackets were 2-25 last season.

'Frank has a system and his teams run it very well,' said Iowa City West Coach B.J. Mayer. 'If he gets some athletes, his system will translate into wins.'

It certainly did at Washington. Donning a red sweater that became his trademark, Howell posted a 224-83 record there, including a four-year run of 88-14 between 2004-05 and 2007-08 that featured three state runner-up finishes behind the trio of Kaitlin Armstrong, Katelyn Oney and Micha Mims.

'That was an incredible run,' Howell said. 'Whether we made it to state or not, what I feel most is how many people had an impact on my life.'

Armstrong went on to play at UNI, then joined Howell's staff as an assistant.

'(Howell) is a personable guy. We knew he cared about us, on and off the court,' she said. 'He was someone to give you criticism, but he'd also tell you what you were doing well.

'I think college basketball will be good for him. He's been coaching high-school ball for a long time. He's ready to take it to the next level.'

Howell supervised an open gym Monday, received the offer from Graceland later in the day, then met again with the Washington players late in the afternoon to break the news.

'Frank has been a terrific leader for our (girls') basketball program as well as an outstanding (social studies) teacher,' Washington Athletics Director Paul James said in a release. 'He is highly respected in the basketball coaching arena, his players enjoy playing for him, and he has been a valuable member of our faculty.

'Washington High School will really miss him.'

Howell, who had previously coached at Dallas Center-Grimes and Audubon (he coached the Wheelers to a state title in 1999), came to Cedar Rapids in 2003. His 22-year career record is 345-172.

Jason Edwards was an assistant for Howell for 10 seasons before taking the head position at Cedar Rapids Jefferson in 2012. They remain close friends.

'From a personal standpoint, I'm depressed that he's not going to be in the area any more,' Edwards said. 'He's such a good friend.

'At the same time, I'm happy for him. He's been working hard for this, he's a damn good basketball coach, and he's definitely ready for the next challenge.'

Howell told several of his colleagues throughout the Mississippi Valley Conference about his decision Monday before it went public.

'I'm excited for him,' Cedar Rapids Kennedy Coach Tony Vis said. 'I know he's had the desire to get to the college ranks. His style fits the college game. He treats kids the right way. It will be a neat fit for that level.'

With no prior coaching experience, Howell considered himself 'an underdog' for the Graceland job.

'They didn't question my ability to coach, but they did question my ability to recruit,' he said.

Both of Howell's parents attended Graceland, and he spent six years of his childhood in nearby Leon. He is married with two elementary-aged daughters.

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