Bio

Derek Howard begins his first season in charge of the Avila men’s and women’s tennis programs in 2026-27.

Howard came to Avila after a successful 11-year stint as the head tennis coach at Raymore-Peculiar High School.

The Ray-Pec tennis program saw great success on and off the court under Howard, who led the girl’s program to two district titles and the first conference championship in school history in 2022. Howard has produced eight total Missouri state qualifiers and was instrumental in the construction of the RPHS Tennis Complex prior to the 2022 season.

A lifelong educator and coach, Howard spent 10 seasons as a men’s collegiate basketball assistant coach, including at Johnson County Community College from 2012-20.

A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Howard is a graduate of McMaster University – where he was a member of the men’s basketball program – and received his Master’s from MidAmerica Nazarene University in 2006. Howard has two children, Morgan and Madison and currently resides in Raymore.