Coaching Career
While pursuing his baseball career, Howell coached football in his autumn off-seasons; in Mexico City in 1935 and as an assistant at Loyola of New Orleans in 1936. Following a season in the NFL in 1937, he was hired as head coach at the Arizona State Teachers College in Tempe and stayed for four seasons (1938–41), with two conference titles. He was a finalist for the open job at Idaho in 1941, then joined the Navy in 1942 as a physical training instructor for naval aviators. He served until his discharge as a lieutenant commander in November 1945, then returned to Tuscaloosa in January 1946 as an assistant football coach (backs) and head baseball coach for the Crimson Tide.
Howell was hired as head football coach at Idaho of the Pacific Coast Conference in February 1947 and guided the usually-struggling Vandals to a promising 4-4 record in his first season in Moscow, Idaho's best since 1938. The Vandals beat Stanford on the road, a team that had defeated them 45-0 the previous year, and also an undefeated Utah in the season finale. The Vandals drew a Palouse and state record crowd to Neale Stadium for their annual rivalry game with Washington State in October, albeit a close 7-0 loss to the Cougars. These promising factors earned Howell a two-year contract extension through 1950. The progress did not continue, as the Vandals opened the 1948 season with four losses and went 3-6 overall and 1-5 in conference, defeating only Montana for the Little Brown Stein. Idaho played Washington State close at Rogers Field in Pullman and gave Oregon a scare in Moscow. The 1948 Ducks, with Norm Van Brocklin and John McKay, would go 7-0 in conference and were co-champions with California.
Howell's relationship with Idaho fans and the administration was strained following the 1949 season. The Vandals went 3-5 and 1-4 in conference that season, defeating only departing Montana again. Their two non-conference wins were against overmatched opponents Willamette and Portland, and the Vandals were severely outscored 230-45 in their five losses, capped by a 63-0 loss at Stanford to end the season. Howell felt compelled to publicly deny rumors in April that he would leave before the 1950 season.
The Vandals posted a 3-5-1 record in 1950 and 1-1-1 in conference, and Howell's contract was not renewed in March 1951.
Read more about this topic: Dixie Howell
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