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.