Babe Howell enjoyed a career as one of the state’s most successful high school football and baseball coaches in a 40-year coaching career. Born in Monroe and a graduate of Western Carolina University, Howell spent 24 years at Sylva-Webster High, which later was consolidated into Smoky Mountain. Counting eight years as a head coach in Georgia, Howell had an overall career record of a whopping 301-121-6, the top mark in North Carolina history, and a total of five NCHSAA state championships. Howell was 198-78-6during his stint at Sylva-Webster and Smoky Mountain. He also has the top baseball record in state history, amassing a whopping 618 victories. A former president of the North Carolina Coaches Association, Howell also served as both a head coach and assistant in the East-West all-star game in Greensboro.