Olympic Heights Welcomes Legendary Sam Howell As New Baseball Manager

Sam Howell jokes that he just hopes he hasn’t lost what it takes to coach high school baseball.

The local coaching legend with 274 career coaching victories was recently introduced as the new skipper for Olympic Heights, where he replaces former coach Brian Domenico. Although Howell, 59, has not coached baseball since 2004, the game has been a part of his life ever since he was five years old. He has previously coached at John I. Leonard, The King’s Academy and most recently at Santaluces.

After his son Joey graduated and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles following the 2004 season, Howell had switched to coaching the Chiefs’ softball team in order to coach his daughter and have the opportunity to spend that time with her. But after teaching at the school for 26 years, Coach Howell was a victim of the excess cuts that saw him replaced at his teaching position by someone who had one more year of tenure then himself.

What was Santaluces’ loss has become Olympic Heights gain, as the coach landed a full-time position teaching Driver’s Education last year and has since become entrenched in the school’s athletic programs. This past season Howell coached the boys’ and girls’ tennis teams, and he will also coach the school’s football team in the fall.

But baseball remains his passion, and the decision to take over the Lions baseball program was an easy one to make.

“Dave Clark asked if I’d be willing to step back in,” Howell said. “He is a good principal to work for and he knows his athletics. I enjoy working with the kids. People taught me the game, and if I can pass it on to them then great.”

Coach Howell understands that any time one takes over a new program you have to change a lot of things. With the Lions coming off a 3-18 season he also understands that it is going to take some time to turn things around, but that he is uniquely tested for the position.

“When I took over at Santaluces the school had only been in existence for a couple of years. They had not won two games in a row ever, and they had never won a district game,” Howell said. “I know what it’s going to take, and it’s going to take some work here. Fundamentals and defense win ball games and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Coach Howell brings an accomplished resume with him, which dates back to his own playing days. He played his own high school ball at Cardinal Newman for the legendary Jack Kokinda, who won over 700 career games. In fact, Howell pitched and won Coach Kokinda’s very first career game for him. Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 13th round of the 1971 MLB June Amateur Draft, Coach Howell went on to play one season of professional baseball with the Montreal Expos organization, where he was 5-3 with 35 strikeouts in 56 innings pitched.

As a coach in Palm Beach County, Howell not only helped mold Santaluces into a contender that regularly won district and regional titles, but he also earned a state championship ring while serving as the Associate Coach with King’s Academy in 2001.

“You gotta have all the tumblers fall into place to win a state title,” Howell said. “Ultimately, that is our goal for this team too. But for now the goal is to reach double-digit victories. It’s going to take some work but that’s the goal.”

Among the other notable accomplishments Howell has enjoyed over his coaching career are establishing two of the county’s most recognized tournaments, the county championships and the annual Santaluces Slam Tournament that kicks off each baseball season. Both of these tournaments have grown to become staples of the season each year, and Coach Howell is especially pleased with how well the coaches at Santaluces have been able to maintain the Slam tournament.

“Nick Franco does a good job there, and it has kept its tradition,” Howell noted.

The tradition that matters most to Coach Howell now is the Lions’ winning traditions, as the coach can recall what a tough competitor the team always was back in his previous coaching stints. But the past three seasons Olympic Heights has gone 16-57, and with this summer’s “free agency” period set to begin there is no way of knowing who he will even have back on the team for next season.

“Who knows what will happen over the summer?” Howell stated. “I have met a few of the players and spoke to a lot of them. I hope they at least give us a chance so they can see that it’s going to be a different story. Hopefully they’re going to stay, and the kids who are supposed to be at the school will be here. But we also want to get all the kids at the school who play baseball to come out and play. With hard work it will be a different outlook, and hopefully these kids will help turn the program around and get it headed in the right direction.”

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