The Georgia Southern women’s basketball team named Anita Howard as the new head coach Wednesday morning.

Howard, a 2003 Armstrong State University graduate, coached three seasons at Columbus State where she accumulated an overall 45-18 conference record, two NCAA Division II Championship titles, and an Elite Eight appearance.

Before coaching at Columbus State, she coached at Livingstone College, a private HBCU in North Carolina, and Salem College, a small liberal arts women’s college in North Carolina.

She led huge program turnarounds at both schools. She led CSU to a 31-2 record and the Peach Belt title in her first season, and led Livingstone College to 23 wins, which is the longest winning streak in HBCU women’s basketball history.

She was awarded the Great South Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2013, the John “Whack” Hyder Georgia College Women’s Coach of the Year in 2017, and the 2017-18 Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year.

The GS women’s basketball team finished 7-22 overall and 2-16 in the conference. Former coach Kip Drown’s contract was not renewed. He coached a 32-86 record over four seasons.

A press conference for Anita Howard will be held on April 1 at Paulson Stadium.

Amanda Arnold, The George-Anne Sports Reporter, gasports@georgiasouthern.edu