July 16, 2009

CHICAGO - Loyola University head women's basketball coach Eric Simpson has completed his coaching staff with the hiring of LaToya Howell as an assistant coach. Howell joins Brent Brown and Clare Bodensteiner on Simpson's staff with Jennifer Callan starting her third season as the program's Director of Basketball Operations.

"I am extremely excited to announce the addition of LaToya Howell to our women's basketball coaching staff," said Simpson. "As a former prep standout at Queen of Peace High School, Coach Howell is well-equipped to represent Loyola University as a local and regional recruiter. LaToya has proven to be an effective leader, having captained her collegiate teams at the Air Force Academy and the University of Nebraska and she gained valuable experience as a recruiter and coach during her three-year stint at Texas A&M-Commerce, where she was instrumental in the development of 2009 WNBA draft pick Britney Jordan."

Howell comes back to the Windy City after three successful years as an assistant coach at Texas A&M-Commerce, a NCAA Division II institution northeast of Dallas, where she was charged with the development of backcourt players. Under Howell's guidance, the Lions finished with an 18-11 record last season, led by guard Britney Jordan, who was selected by the Los Angeles Sparks as the 35th overall selection in the 2009 WNBA Draft.

She joined the Texas A&M-Commerce staff immediately following a stellar playing career that started at the Air Force Academy and ended at Nebraska. She was named most valuable player as a freshman at Air Force, setting a single-season record with 90 steals, and followed that up by averaging 17.4 points and 7.0 assists per game as a sophomore before transferring to Nebraska.

After playing more than 20 minutes per game, primarily off the bench, in her first season in Lincoln, Howell started all 32 games her senior season and helped guide the Huskers to the WNIT Quarterfinals for the first time in school history. She dished out 159 assists that season, good for eighth on Nebraska's single-season list, and reached double digits in assists against Iowa State and Oklahoma State.

A graduate of Queen of Peace High School in Burbank and member of its hall of fame, Howell earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Nebraska in 2006.