Troy University Names Adam Howard as New Basketball Head Coach

Troy University has selected North Carolina State assistant coach Adam Howard to lead their men's basketball program. Howard takes over from Scott Cross, who departed for Georgia Tech after guiding the Trojans to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.

Troy University has named Adam Howard, an assistant coach from North Carolina State, as their new men’s basketball head coach, the university revealed on Saturday evening.

Howard steps into the role previously held by Scott Cross, who departed following the NCAA Tournament to take the head coaching position at Georgia Tech. Cross concluded his seven-year run with the program after achieving five consecutive seasons with at least 20 victories.

The Trojans compiled a 22-12 record during the most recent season and secured their second consecutive NCAA Tournament berth. However, their tournament run ended quickly as the 13th-seeded team suffered a decisive 76-47 defeat against Nebraska in the opening round.

The new coach brings familiarity with the program, having served as an assistant at Troy from 2016 to 2018. During his previous tenure, the Trojans earned a spot in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

Howard completed his first and only season at NC State, where the Wolfpack posted a 20-14 record and made the NCAA Tournament before falling to Texas in the First Four. Following the season, NC State head coach Will Wade moved on to LSU.

Throughout his coaching career, Howard has worked as an assistant at multiple programs, including Southern Miss from 2012 to 2014, Tennessee in 2014, South Alabama from 2018 to 2022, and Nebraska from 2022 to 2025.

Howard’s tenure at Tennessee ended abruptly in November 2014 when he stepped down for personal reasons. His departure occurred while both he and then-head coach Donnie Tyndall faced NCAA investigation regarding recruiting violations that allegedly took place at Southern Miss, where Tyndall had previously served as head coach.