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Men's Basketball
vs Mayville State (Exhibition)
South Dakota State University Athletics
Chris Howell
Photo by: Andrew Pedersen
HOWELL RETURNS TO SDSU ON PETERSEN’S STAFF
4/8/2025 1:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BROOKINGS, S.D. – The South Dakota State men's basketball program has another familiar face among its coaching ranks as former student-athlete Chris Howell has joined the coaching staff, head coach Bryan Petersen announced Tuesday.
The Milwaukee, Wis., native has spent the past two seasons serving as a program assistant for Marquette University. Howell was a member of a coaching staff that made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. His tenure under head coach Shaka Smart included a Sweet 16 appearance in 2024, while the Golden Eagles totaled 52 victories during the two-year span in the Big East Conference.
Howell spent a season at Hill College (2022-23) in Texas, working at the junior college level, following a year as an assistant at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota.
Howell suited up for the Jackrabbits from 2016-18 as part of a five-year collegiate career. During his two seasons in Brookings, Howell played in over 50 games and started in 21. Howell helped the program earn 46 wins as a two-year contributor to the squad. The Jacks made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, won two Summit League Tournament championships and claimed a regular season title during his first stint in Yellow and Blue.
"We are very excited to have coach Chris Howell back at SDSU joining our staff," Petersen said. "Chris was a part of two NCAA Tournament teams as a player for the program and knows how special the Brookings community and Jackrabbit fan base is. He has an infectious energy about him. He will help our players grow both on and off the court!"
Prior to his time with SDSU, Howell played one season at Butler Community College. He helped the program earn a 29-4 record during the 2014-15 campaign. The Grizzlies claimed a Jayhawk West Conference championship that season, while Howell earned All-Jayhawk West Conference honorable mention distinction along with All-Region VI honors. Howell used his final season of eligibility as a graduate transfer at Jackson State in 2018-19. He averaged 12.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game and helped the Tigers finish third in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
"It's an amazing feeling to be back here," Howell said. "The culture and family environment that is here makes it really surreal to be back.
"Bryan recruited me out of high school and we've stayed in touch since. Once I started coaching, he's always been somebody I could hit up and he would check in on me. I'm excited to be able to learn from him. He's been at the junior college level, I played at the JUCO level, and we've both been here at different times. I look forward to developing relationships with the guys on the team and everybody involved with Jackrabbit basketball."
Howell earned his bachelor's degree from South Dakota State in human development and family studies. He also has a master's degree in sports management from Jackson State and holds a master's certificate in sports leadership at Marquette.
The Milwaukee, Wis., native has spent the past two seasons serving as a program assistant for Marquette University. Howell was a member of a coaching staff that made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. His tenure under head coach Shaka Smart included a Sweet 16 appearance in 2024, while the Golden Eagles totaled 52 victories during the two-year span in the Big East Conference.
Howell spent a season at Hill College (2022-23) in Texas, working at the junior college level, following a year as an assistant at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota.
Howell suited up for the Jackrabbits from 2016-18 as part of a five-year collegiate career. During his two seasons in Brookings, Howell played in over 50 games and started in 21. Howell helped the program earn 46 wins as a two-year contributor to the squad. The Jacks made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, won two Summit League Tournament championships and claimed a regular season title during his first stint in Yellow and Blue.
"We are very excited to have coach Chris Howell back at SDSU joining our staff," Petersen said. "Chris was a part of two NCAA Tournament teams as a player for the program and knows how special the Brookings community and Jackrabbit fan base is. He has an infectious energy about him. He will help our players grow both on and off the court!"
Prior to his time with SDSU, Howell played one season at Butler Community College. He helped the program earn a 29-4 record during the 2014-15 campaign. The Grizzlies claimed a Jayhawk West Conference championship that season, while Howell earned All-Jayhawk West Conference honorable mention distinction along with All-Region VI honors. Howell used his final season of eligibility as a graduate transfer at Jackson State in 2018-19. He averaged 12.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game and helped the Tigers finish third in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
"It's an amazing feeling to be back here," Howell said. "The culture and family environment that is here makes it really surreal to be back.
"Bryan recruited me out of high school and we've stayed in touch since. Once I started coaching, he's always been somebody I could hit up and he would check in on me. I'm excited to be able to learn from him. He's been at the junior college level, I played at the JUCO level, and we've both been here at different times. I look forward to developing relationships with the guys on the team and everybody involved with Jackrabbit basketball."
Howell earned his bachelor's degree from South Dakota State in human development and family studies. He also has a master's degree in sports management from Jackson State and holds a master's certificate in sports leadership at Marquette.
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