Howarth to guide soccer program

"Southwestern College is proud to announce new head men's soccer coach Lee Howarth," SC athletic director Jamie Adams said. "Lee brings great knowledge of the sport of soccer as well as a passion for Moundbuilder athletics. His experience as a graduate assistant coach at Southwestern makes him a great choice to lead and grow this program. I am excited to bring Lee back to SC, and I cannot wait to see his energy and passion in action."

Howarth brings familiarity to the squad, having served as the goalkeeping coach as a graduate assistant as recently as the 2021-22 season. He served in that capacity between both the men's and women's programs from 2020-22.

Howarth was head coach of a competitive U16 boys soccer coach for the organization TASA. He taught the Thomasville, Ga.,-based club team advanced soccer strategies in his time there (2018-19). He also worked as an assistant coach for the Brookwood High School varsity squad in Thomasville.

Howarth, from the United Kingdom, began his coaching career as a goalkeeping guru at FAB Academy at Bisham Abbey in Bisham, just outside of Marlow. He spent 2012-15 working with young goalkeepers trying to work their way up through the academy ranks.

His playing career was a well-traveled one. He played for Watford FC, Reading FC and Milton Keynes Dons academies at the youth level. Howarth represented the Berks and Bucks county as a player, as well as the south of England for Futsal. He then moved on to Football Academy Bisham, where he was put on the path to play in college in America.

Howarth spent four years playing for Thomas University (Ga.), where he won all-conference awards in his sophomore and junior seasons, as well as being a team captain as a junior. His squad reached the NAIA round of 16 and was ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation in Howarth's sophomore year.

He spent a summer in Midland, Texas, where he played for a semi-professional team, the Midland-Odessa Sockers that won the Lone Star Conference and reached the semifinals in the region in the one season that Howarth competed.

"I am excited to be back as a part of the Builder family," Howarth said. “And I am looking forward to helping this program progress and compete."