Howard College adds Preston Ingram as associate head coach

Howard College added Preston Ingram as associate head men’s basketball coach on July 1, 2026, giving the reigning NJCAA Division I champion another veteran voice as it reshapes its staff for the season ahead. The hire lands in the middle of a rare stretch for the Hawks, who finished 33-4, won the national title on March 28 in Hutchinson, Kansas, and beat College of Southern Idaho 82-67 to secure the program’s second championship and first since 2010.

The move is more than a routine assistant addition. Howard lists Ingram as entering his first season in the role after a 22-year coaching career and says he brings more than 105 collegiate head-coaching victories, a résumé that points to influence in both day-to-day basketball decisions and the broader direction of the program. Howard describes him as a proven program builder and offensive strategist, a label that suggests the Hawks want more than depth on the bench. They want another coach who can help shape the offense, sharpen player development and extend the program’s recruiting reach.

Ingram arrives from Maryville University, where he most recently served as head men’s basketball coach. Before that, he spent five seasons as head coach at Missouri Baptist University, where he went 94-52, won the 2022 American Midwest Conference Tournament championship and led the Spartans to the NAIA National Tournament after a 26-6 season. His background also includes assistant stops at Pittsburg State University, Angelo State University, Avila University and Evangel University, along with work with the Springfield Rockets and MOKAN Elite AAU programs. Howard says that AAU and prep background helped more than 55 players earn college basketball scholarships.

Howard’s staff directory now lists head coach Kyle Cooper, Tyrone Brazelton, Jermy Abraham and Ingram on the men’s basketball staff. Cooper has already been recognized for guiding the Hawks through the championship season, earning NJCAA Coach of the Tournament and National Coach of the Year honors in April, while Terry Copeland was named both the William French Most Valuable Player and NJCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Player of the Year.

The timing of Ingram’s arrival fits a program that just finished as the No. 1 seed in the national tournament and closed the year on an eight-game winning streak. For a team that lifted the trophy after a 33-4 season, Howard’s decision to add an associate head coach signals a push to keep the standard high rather than simply preserve it.