After helping guide the Spring Garden girls basketball team to the Class 1A state title last season as an assistant coach, Jason Howard will oversee the Lady Panthers’ male counterparts in 2004-05.

Pending approval of the Cherokee County Board of Education, Howard has accepted the Panther varsity boys head basketball coach.

Howard, who is also the school’s head football coach, brings a solid track record to the Panther Den.

In his nine years as Cedar Bluff boys head basketball coach, Howard posted a 147-98 record, won four area titles and finished as county tournament runners-up three times.

His 1997-98 squad went 20-9 record and a berth in the Northeast Regional Tournament.

In Howard’s last two seasons, the Tigers went 42-16 while winning consecutive Class 1A, Area 10 championships.

The 2001-02 squad won a school-record 23 games and was second in the state in scoring.

In only three seasons did a Howard-coached team fail to advance to the subregional round.

Spring Garden highlighted last year’s 11-19 re-cord with an upset victory over Jacksonville Christian in the area tournament play-in game.

“I’m excited to take on this challenge,” said Howard. “Spring Garden boys basketball has a winning tradition, and we have an opportunity to return this program to a high level. We’ll know more about the team after the summer practice gets going this week.