Throughout the course of the 2008-2009 academic year, we will seek to recognize some of the great names of the past to highlight the heritage of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association in honor of the Association’s 95th anniversary. In this edition we are pleased to recognize Doris Howard.

One of the winningest female coaches in the history of North Carolina, Doris Howard had a 41-year career as a teacher and coach in Cumberland County. She retired after the 1987-88 season with a career coaching mark in women’s basketball of 533-231.

Howard coached at Hope Mills, Central and Cape Fear High Schools, including 14 years at Central and then from 1969 to ’88 at Cape Fear. She was a head coach in tennis, basketball and softball during her career. Her basketball teams at Central won nine regular-season and seven tournament championships, going 278-55. She directed Cape Fear to a state softball championship in 1978, had her team in the state finals three straight years, and compiled an impressive 123-13 mark in that sport over a six-year period.

Born in Timmonsville, S.C., and a 1947 graduate of Coker College, she received a Distinguished Service Award from the NCHSAA in 1989. Howard also coached twice in the East-West All-Star basketball game in Greensboro.