Utah State University Athletics

Christopher Howell is in his second year as a defensive analyst with Utah State and works primarily with the safeties. Howell joined the Aggies after spending 25 years at the high school level and has 32 years of high school coaching experience.

In his first year at Utah State in 2025, Howell helped Utah State to a 6-7 record (4-4 Mountain West) and its 12th bowl game in the last 15 years. With Howell on staff, USU had six defenders earn All-MW honors as cornerback Noah Avinger and linebacker John Miller were both named to the first-team, while defensive tackle Gabriel Iniguez Jr., linebacker Bronson Olevao Jr., and safeties Brevin Hamblin and Ike Larsen were both named honorable mention. Avinger highlighted these honorees as he was named a HERO Sports Group of Five Second Team All-American.

Utah State had one defender honored by the MW during the season as Hamblin was named the MW Defensive Player of the Week following his performance against Nevada as he had a team-high eight tackles, including a career-high-tying 1.0 sacks and a season-high 1.5 tackles for loss, to go along with an interception he returned 38 yards for a touchdown. Hamblin also recovered a fumble in the red zone at the 1-yard line.

Defensively, Utah State forced 17 turnovers during the season with 13 interceptions and four fumbles and limited its opponents to just 17 points during the year following 11 Aggie turnovers.
 
Prior to Utah State, Howell was the athletics director at Sky View High School in Smithfield, Utah, and served as the school’s head football coach for five years from 2019-24. During that time, he led the Bobcats to a 49-11 record, which included a 28-game winning streak, four region championships and back-to-back state titles during the 2019 and 2020 campaigns. It was the program's first state titles in the 55-year history of the school. He was named the 2020 Utah High School Activities Association Coach of the Year in 2020 and the 2023 UHSAA Gold Star Coach of the Year.
 
Howell was also the head football coach at Ridgeline High School in Millville, Utah, for three years (2016-18) and served as the school’s athletics director for two years.
 
From 2008 to 2015, Howell served as the head football coach at Star Valley High School in Afton, Wyoming. During his time there, he led the Braves to the 2015 3A state championship and was named the conference’s coach of the year in 2012 after guiding his team to a runner-up finish in the state championship.
 
Howell started his professional career at Sky View HS as the head baseball coach and defensive coordinator from 1999 to 2007.
 
Howell graduated from Utah State with a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in secondary education endorsement in 1999. He then earned his master’s in education with an emphasis in physical education in 2006.