Former Ooltewah High School star and professional pitcher Adam Howard is the new assistant coach for Chattanooga State’s nationally ranked baseball team.
He succeeds Robert Long in working with pitchers under head coach Greg Dennis, who watched Howard shine for TCCAA rival Walters State the first year he directed the Tigers. After that 2004 season, Howard was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks and remained in their organization for five years, reaching the Triple-A level.
Released by Arizona, he signed with the Schaumburg (Ill.) Flyers, an independent league team, but made only “a couple of starts” before requiring elbow surgery.
“That was it,” said Howard, who then began taking University of Phoenix classes to finish work on a bachelor’s degree and is on track to get that Jan. 7.
“I have four classes left,” said Howard, 27, who worked last season at Frank Phillips College, a two-year school in Texas, and helped at East Hamilton High the previous year. He played at Ooltewah for Chattanooga State’s other assistant coach, Joe Wingate, now an East Hamilton physical education teacher who will assist with football there this fall but be back with the Tigers for the spring season.