Villanova Assistant, Top Recruiter Ash Howard Affirms His Commitment to Wildcats

The downside of having excellent assistant coaches is that other teams will try to lure them away: UConn poached longtime Villanova assistant Mike Nardi last season, and current assistant and recruiting guru Ash Howard, who spent four seasons as La Salle’s head coach, is going to get another shot at a program’s helm at some point.

For now, however, Howard remains committed to the Wildcats. A Villanova fan posted to Twitter (X) on April 1 to thank Howard for his effort as a leader and his passion for the city of Philadelphia… and promptly had other Wildcats fans scared that it was a farewell post. The exchanges caught Howard’s attention, and he made sure to chime in.

“I appreciate the positive vibes you always spread for our players and coach[es] here at [Villanova],” Howard’s response reads. “Your loyalty and support is unmatched. I am grateful to do what I love at a place that I love. Go Cats!” Here’s the full exchange.

The lone holdover from Jay Wright and Kyle Neptune’s tenure, Howard serves as one of Villanova’s best recruiters. Keeping him in the fold and happy means a major win for the program’s culture… and after head coach Kevin Willard’s viral joke during the NCAA Tournament sparked hot takes about his coaching staff, Howard’s continuing commitment helps to quash that.