News Detail
The Hockaday School Names Troy Howell Rowing Program Director
The Hockaday School is pleased to announce the appointment of Troy Howell as its new Rowing Program Director.
Coach Howell brings more than 35 years of experience coaching and developing rowers at the scholastic, collegiate, club, national, and international levels. He is widely recognized for his technical expertise, particularly in the use of single sculling as a foundation for team-boat performance, as well as his ability to build competitive programs and develop athletes across a wide range of experience levels.
“We are thrilled to welcome Troy to Hockaday,” said Melissa Coyne, Director of Athletics. “His depth of experience, technical knowledge, and commitment to athlete development make him an outstanding leader for our rowing program. Just as importantly, Troy understands that building a successful program requires strong relationships, clear expectations, and a culture in which students are supported and challenged to reach their full potential.”
Coach Howell has deep ties to the Dallas rowing community. From 1993 to 2008, he served as Head Coach of Boys’ and Girls’ Crew at Episcopal School of Dallas, where he built a nationally competitive scholastic program. During his tenure, ESD crews earned 12 medals at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, reached the A Finals in every appearance at the USRowing Youth National Championships, and produced numerous collegiate rowers.
He later served as Head Coach of Men’s Rowing at Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas and as Sculling Director and Head Coach of Juniors at the Rowing Club of the Woodlands.
Coach Howell also spent more than a decade as Director of Sculling Programs at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Vermont. In that role, he developed instructional programming, managed and evaluated a staff of 58 coaches, and worked with athletes ranging from beginners to members of the Green Racing Project, Craftsbury’s year-round elite training group.
His international coaching experience includes the Henley Royal Regatta, the U23 World Championships, and the 2019 African Olympic Qualification Regatta. At the latter event, Howell coached N’Dri Kouadio Franck Aime of the Ivory Coast, who secured one of the available Olympic qualification positions for African single scullers and later competed at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Coach Howell comes to Hockaday most recently from St. Margaret’s School in Tappahannock, Virginia, where he was hired in the spring of 2024 by Headmaster Colley Bell III to help revive the school’s crew program after a long hiatus. During the 2024–25 school year, he also taught English and became deeply connected to the school community. His time at St. Margaret’s was an important chapter in his career and further strengthened his commitment to education, rowing, and the development of young people.
In addition to his coaching background, Howell has extensive experience as an educator. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Arts in U.S. History from the University of Virginia and has taught English, history, government, and interdisciplinary humanities courses at several independent schools.
"Crew has a remarkable way of teaching young people that they are capable of much more than they realize. If we do our job well, the most important thing they'll leave with won't merely be knowing that they've learned how to make a boat go fast; they'll leave knowing what it takes to be someone others can rely on, and how valuable that is. That's why Hockaday feels like such a natural fit - it's a place that is already committed to developing confident, capable young women, and rowing is simply another means for those qualities to be strengthened and lived," Howell said.
As Rowing Program Director, Howell will oversee the strategic direction, coaching, athlete development, operations, equipment management, and long-term growth of Hockaday’s rowing program.
The Hockaday School
Within the private school community, The Hockaday School is an independent college-preparatory day school for girls from grades PK–12 located in Dallas, Texas. Students realize their limitless potential through challenging academic curricula, arts, athletics, and extracurricular programs so that they are inspired to lead lives of purpose and impact.
The Hockaday School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational, admissions, financial aid, athletic, and other policies and programs.
The Hockaday School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational, admissions, financial aid, athletic, and other policies and programs.