Anna Howle

Oklahoma Baptist University head coach Anna Howle began her college coaching career at the helm of the Lady Bison in 2008.
 

The 2017 Lady Bison team finished 18-15 and qualified for the Great American Conference postseason in the program's first year as full members of the NCAA. OBU finished third in the regular season and made it to the conference semifinal match by defeating Ouachita Baptist in the opening round of the tournament for the first-ever GAC postseason win in program history. Senior Cadyn Laing earned First Team All-GAC status and redshirt freshman Mikayla Watson was named Second Team All-GAC. 

In 2016, Howle led the Lady Bison to a 23-15 record, including an 11-5 record in OBU’s second season as a member of the Great American Conference. The Lady Bison once again made it to the National Christian College Athletic Association National Tournament, falling in the semifinals. Cadyn Laing earned NCCAA All-America honors after posting

140 blocks.

During the 2015 season, Howle directed the Lady Bison to a 27-13 record, the program’s first season at the Division II level. Her team also reached the National Championship of the NCCAA before falling in title match. A strong season saw OBU place three on the NCCAA All-American squad, headlined by senior Kaitlyn Lucy, who set a new NCAA Division II record for digs in a season (978).

The 2011, 2012, and 2013 Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, Howle has been featured as an AVCA “Thirty Under 30.” She was named the 2012 American Volleyball Coaches Association Midsouth Region Coach of the Year. 

Howle has also served as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee advisor since the founding of the committee in 2015. She is the co-director of the Bison Sports Awards, a formal, ESPY-style awards show celebrating the achievements of OBU's student-athletes, coaches and teams over the last year.

Howle is chair of the Gender Equity and Diversity Committee and is also a member of multiple committees on Bison Hill, including the Compliance Committee, Athletic Advisory Committee, Student Development Committee, Athletics Executive Committee and numerous hiring committees around campus. She was instrumental in Oklahoma Baptist's transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II. 

The Lady Bison won four consecutive conference titles from 2010-2013, and won 53 consecutive regular season SAC matches. The Lady Bison also won three SAC tournaments and qualified for the postseason three times, making it to the NAIA National Tournament in 2012 and 2013. The 2011 squad made it to the NAIA Opening Round Tournament.
 

Since coming to OBU, Howle has coached the team to four seasons with 30 or more wins, and is 272-115 over 10 seasons. She has coached three Sooner Athletic Conference Freshmen of the Year, a three-time SAC MVP, a SAC Newcomer of the Year, a two-time SAC Libero of the Year, two SAC Setters of the Year, a SAC Hitter of the Year, nine All-Americans, six NAIA Scholar Athletes, seven CoSIDA Academic All-District recipients, two GAC Academic All-Conference members and 37 All-Conference players.
 

In addition to her coaching duties, she is the Senior Woman Administrator at OBU. She has also been a camp director for OBU, numerous high school camps, home school camps, and has coached at camps at the University of Arkansas and Northern Iowa.
 

She also teaches kinesiology and leisure studies courses at OBU.
 

Howle (then Monsen), who played four seasons at the University of Oklahoma, began rebuilding the program at OBU, which had been dormant since 1987. OBU started volleyball in 1975, but the program was discontinued after the 1987 season. Her first Lady Bison team posted a 24-16 record in 2008.

Howle served as head coach at Carl Albert High School in 2007, leading the team to its first state tournament appearance. She also coached the Sooner Volleyball Club (13-year-olds) in Norman for two seasons.

Howle completed her Bachelor's degree at Oklahoma in 2008 and earned a Masters of Education from Oklahoma in 2010.
 

While at OU, Howle was Academic All-Big XII from 2004-06 and Co-Libero of the Year in 2006. She was OU’s Most Improved Player in 2004. Howle also ran track for the Sooners for one season, earning All-Conference honors in the heptathlon.
 

Howle played at Stoughton High School in Wisconsin, where she was the school’s all-time leader in assists.

She married Tyler Howle in 2009 and the couple has three children.