Powell was an accomplished track student-athlete at Wheaton College

RINDGE, N.H. (July 29, 2013) – Franklin Pierce University head track & field/cross country coach Zach Emerson announced on Monday that Howard Powell has been added to the program’s coaching staff as an assistant coach. The hiring was made possible after the Department of Athletics had recently received a diversity grant from the NCAA, which promotes the hiring of minority candidates to help create more career opportunities in intercollegiate athletics. The funding for the grant is good for one year.

Powell, who will work primarily with the student-athletes in the sprints and hurdles, comes to Franklin Pierce after spending the previous two seasons in the same capacity at Division III powerhouse Williams College.

 “We are delighted to have coach Powell join our staff,” said Emerson. “As our ever-growing roster reaches north of 100 student-athletes in just year two, this level of additional support will help us work towards the success that we all know is possible for Franklin Pierce track & field. I am confident that coach Powell will be someone that will make an immediate positive impact on our department, on our talented student-athletes, and throughout our entire community here in Rindge.”

During his time in Williamstown, Powell oversaw the training of eight NCAA All-Americans, 16 NCAA national championship qualifiers, and five school record holders.  He also spent parts of the 2010 and 2011 seasons coaching at nationally-ranked Boy’s and Girl’s High School (Brooklyn, N.Y.), an institution that he is a product of.

Prior to beginning his coaching career, Powell was a multiple-time national qualifier and an All-American hurdler at Wheaton College. He served as the track & field team captain, was a member of multiple student leadership committees, and was also named the USTFCCCA NCAA DIII New England Region Men’s Track Athlete of the Year in 2007 for his outstanding performances in both the sprint and hurdle events. Powell, a native of the Island of Jamaica, graduated Wheaton in 2010 with a degree in Psychology.

“It was clear as we had the chance to get to know Howard, as well as listen to the opinions of those who he has worked with in the past, that he has a maturity, passion, and knowledge for the sport of track & field that extends well beyond his years,” Emerson said. “There is no doubt that our student-athletes will do extremely well relating to an extremely skilled coach.”

Powell is well-known throughout the northeast region for not only his stellar accolades, but also by being seen working throughout the year at multiple track & field camps and clinics. He is also a USTFCCCA certified coach.

For more information on Franklin Pierce track & field/cross country, please visit both the men’s and women’s respective team pages at http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the programs even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens). Fans wishing to purchase track & field or cross country apparel can do so on the athletic department’s online store at http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)