EFSC Golf Coach Jamie Howell Named to 2026 GCAA Hall of Fame

Eastern Florida State College golf coach Jamie Howell has been named to the Golf Coaches Association of America’s 2026 Hall of Fame class.

Howell joins Auburn University head coach Nick Clinard, former Northwestern University head coach Pat Goss, and University of New Mexico head coach Jake Harrington in this year’s class. The group will be officially inducted at the GCAA Hall of Fame Reception & Awards Dinner on Dec. 7, 2026 at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

“When you look at the names of coaches who are already in the Hall of Fame, seeing my name with theirs is tough to get my arms around,” Howell said. “I have all the players to thank for this. I have Athletic Director Jeff Carr and President Dr. Jim Richey to thank for this. You don’t achieve something like this on your own. There are a lot of people who help you do this, and that is not lost on me.”

Howell was named the recipient of the 2026 Walter Hauck NJCAA Coaches Association President of the Year Award in April, and he said this announcement surprised him in much the same way.

“It is kind of similar. I get a phone call out of the blue from a peer of mine, and I was not expecting it at all,” Howell said. “I was getting ready for the semester, and I did not see this coming at all. I wasn’t even thinking about it.”

The men’s and women’s golf coach joined the program as an assistant in 1994 and took over as head coach of the men’s team in 2002. The men’s program has advanced to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament 22 times during his tenure. Howell took over the women’s program before the 2017-18 season and has led the Titans to the national tournament in each of the past five seasons.

“Thirty years ago, if you had told me I was going to be a college coach, I would have looked at you and said, ‘What?’” Howell said. “Thirty years later, I could not imagine doing anything different. It has probably been one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. All the mentoring and all the information I gleaned from other coaches proved to be true. I could not be more thankful for the opportunity I received all those years ago to begin working at the college. I just could not imagine doing anything different.”

Under Howell, the Titans have produced three individual national champions and three national players of the year. The individual national champions are Jacob Davis in 2004, Billy Anderson in 2011, and Kerry Sweeney in 2016.

“Coach Jamie Howell’s selection to the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame is a well-deserved recognition of an extraordinary career dedicated to excellence, leadership, and student-athlete success,” College President Dr. Jim Richey said. “Coach Howell has elevated our golf program to national prominence while serving as a mentor who has positively impacted countless student-athletes both on and off the course. We are incredibly proud to celebrate this prestigious honor and grateful for the lasting legacy he has built at EFSC.”

Howell will be inducted into the GCAA Hall of Fame in December. The Titans’ men’s and women’s golf teams will begin their fall seasons in the coming weeks.

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