After successful stints as an assistant coach at Pickerington Central and Reynoldsburg, Devin Howard has earned his first chance to lead a high school boys basketball program.
Howard has been named coach at Reynoldsburg. He succeeds Andrew Moore, who stepped down in August because of health issues.
Howard was an assistant under Moore for three seasons, helping the Raiders reach their first state tournament in 2025. They lost the Division I final 56-41 to Olentangy Orange.
Not only is Howard thrilled to have the job, he believes it will be a smooth transition.
“I thought it was pretty important just knowing the ins and outs of the program, and being
ingrained in the community,” he said of the decision to hire someone who’s been part of the program. “I went through the process and interviewed, and they have the confidence that I can do the job. That was a big relief.”
Howard, 39, previously served as an assistant at Central for 11 seasons. He was part of the staff that led the Tigers to the Division I state title in 2022 and a runner-up finish in 2023.
Howard coached at Central under former Ohio State basketball player Jerry Francis and then Eric Krueger, who took over the program in 2014.
“Coach Francis gave me my first opportunity,” Howard said. “He definitely got me started in this, and he’s been a big mentor. He’s somebody I’ve tried to model after. He’s definitely had a big imprint on my coaching.”
Moore believes the school district made the right choice for his successor.
“Devin has paid his dues as an assistant coach and deserves this opportunity,” Moore said. “There is nobody better suited to move this program forward.”
Howard, who also coaches at the club level, is the son of longtime coach and travel basketball director George Howard and godson of former Ohio State star Jim Jackson.
“I’m very proud of him following in my footsteps and keeping our legacy going,” George Howard said. “It’s his time. He’s been an assistant coach for [14] years. He’s been very successful at Pick Central with everything he’s accomplished over there, and then he went to Reynoldsburg and brought them to the state tournament. Unfortunately, it’s with Andy being ill, but I’m happy for him.”
A 2005 graduate of Westerville North, Devin Howard played football in high school. His love for basketball comes from his dad.
“Just watching him over the years, it’s given me a blueprint of the dos and don’ts, and it gave me a chance to build my own way,” Howard said. “Just watching him over the years and seeing the success that he’s had, it’s driven me to do the same ... Since I was a little kid, basketball has been ingrained in my mind and being a student of the game has gotten me to this point.”
Reynoldsburg went 18-7 last season and shared the OCC-Buckeye title (13-1) with Newark.
“We lost a decent number of guys,” Howard said. “We had some guys transfer out and moved on to different programs, but we have some guys that are young and hungry and they’re ready to step into new roles and they’re relishing those new roles.”
High school sports reporter Frank DiRenna can be reached at fdirenna@dispatch.com and at @DispatchFrank on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Devin Howard succeeds Andrew Moore as Reynoldsburg boys basketball coach
