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Meleah Howard
Meleah Howard

Bio

Howard, a former Co-Lin standout player, is in her eighth season as head coach of the Lady Wolves Softball team. Howard came to Co-Lin after an extremely successful high school coaching career. Howard was a leader on the Lady Wolves 2008 team that finished runners-up in the NJCAA National Championship. In her seven seasons, Howard has a career record of 263-61.

After Co-Lin, Howard continued her education at Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a minor in mathematics and science. While at Mississippi State, she coached the Southern Ice travel team out of Wesson and served as assistant softball coach at East Webster High School.

After completing her degree in 2010, Howard was promoted to head coach at East Webster of both the fast and slow pitch programs. She also taught middle school science, Algebra, and Algebra II.

In July of 2012, Howard landed the head coaching position at Lawrence County High School in Monticello for both the fast and slow pitch teams.

Howard led the Lady Cougars to a 31-4 overall record and runners-up in the MHSAA 4A State Championship in her final year at the high school level. During her tenure with the Lady Cougars, she earned a district title in either slow or fast pitch each year.

Howard has amassed 16 years of coaching experience and slated a 578-149 career coaching record with playoff runs in all eight seasons including 2A state runners-up at East Webster in 2011 and her last season in the high school ranks with the Lady Cougars.

In her seven seasons as head coach of the Lady Wolves she has earned multiple accolades including 2022 MACCC Coach of the Year, 2023 Region 23 and Gulf District A Coach of the Year, 2023 NJCAA Division II Coach of the National Tournament, 2024 Gulf District B Coach of the Year, 2025 MACCC and Gulf District A Coach of the Year. The Lady Wolves coaching staff was named the 2025 ATEC/NFCA National and South Region Coaching Staff of the Year after finishing the season 48-6.

In 2025, the Lady Wolves won their second straight MACCC regular season title and set history by being the first team to ever go 27-1 in conference play. The Lady Wolves also won their second national championship in the last three seasons.

In 2024, the Lady Wolves won the first MACCC regular season championship in program history. The Lady Wolves also finished as Region 23 Runners-Up and earned a second straight trip to the NJCAA Division II Softball World Series in Spartanburg, South Carolina finishing fourth overall.

In 2023, the Lady Wolves broke their own single season record for wins going 49-10 overall and 25-3 in MACCC play. The Lady Wolves also won their first Region 23 Championship since the 2008 season and then won the first National Championship in school history at the NJCAA Division II World Series in Spartanburg, South Carolina on May 27.

In 2022, the Lady Wolves set a then single season record for wins going 42-10 overall and 23-5 in MACCC play while winning the first 18 straight against conference foes. The Lady Wolves also earned the first number one ranking in program history during the 2022 season. The team also won the first MACCC Tournament Championship in 13 years which also earned them the right to host the NJCAA Region 23 Softball Tournament for the first time since 2012. Howard also earned MACCC Coach of the Year honors for the 2022 season and also celebrated her 100th Co-Lin career win with a 9-1 victory over Meridian on March 29. Howard became the fastest among active MACCC Softball coaches to reach the mark needing just 131 games and had a 100-31 record in that span.

In 2021, the Lady Wolves had another successful season going 32-11 overall and 22-6 in conference. The Lady Wolves advanced to the semifinals in the MACCC State Tournament and the semifinals of the NJCAA Region XXIII tournament. In 2019, Co-Lin advanced to the NJCAA Region XXIII tournament after upsetting the No. 2 Jones College Lady Bobcats. Co-Lin’s post-season run came to an end in the Region XXIII Semifinals. In her second year at the helm, she led the Lady Wolves to a 12-1 record and No. 3 national ranking.

She and her husband, Marc, are the parents of two sons, Jack and Hayes and a daughter Audrey.

 

Quick Facts:

• Former Co-Lin standout player

• Helped lead the Lady Wolves to NJCAA National Runners-Up as a player

• Led Co-Lin to NJCAA Region XXIII Semifinals in 2021

• Made playoff appearances in all eight seasons as a high school coach

• Led program to first ever number one ranking in 2022

• Won first MACCC conference tournament championship in 13 years in 2022

• Won MACJC championship as a player in 2008 and MACCC chamionship as a coach in 2022

• Won Region 23 championship as a player in 2008 and as a coach in 2023

• Led program to first National Championship in school history in 2023 and won 2025 National Championship marking second win in three seasons

• Led program to first ever MACCC regular season championship in 2024 and back-to-back MACCC titles in 2025 with record setting 27-1 mark in conference play

• 2022 and 2025 MACCC Coach of the Year, 2023 Region 23, 2023 and 2025 Gulf District A Coach of the Year, 2023 and 2025 NJCAA Division II Coach of the National Tournament, 2024 Gulf District B Coach of the Year.