Father of NFL QB is the new football coach at Myers Park High School
It didn’t take Myers Park High School long to find its next head football coach.
Just over a week after Chris James stepped down to take a non-coaching position at Charlotte Latin School, Myers Park has hired Duke Howell to replace him.
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Howell is the father of former Sun Valley and UNC QB Sam Howell. Howell now plays for the Dallas Cowboys.
Duke Howell has been head coach at Cuthbertson for the past three seasons. His teams have had two winning seasons and Howell was 16-17 overall at the Union County school.
At Myers Park, Howell — the fifth Mustangs head coach since the 2019 season ended — will jump into one of the most competitive football hotbeds in the southeast.
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Mecklenburg County has produced 10 football state champions since 2020.
Howell’s Mustangs play in the same Greater Charlotte conference as reigning NCHSAA 8A state champion Hough.
Myers Park was 9-3 under James last season and reached the N.C. 8A state quarterfinals.
“We are excited to welcome Coach Howell to Myers Park High School,” Myers Park principal Robert Folk said “His vision for the program, passion for student-athletes, and commitment to academic and athletic success make him the right leader to move our football program forward.”
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Cuthbertson has named offensive coordinator Jeremy East as its interim coach.
East, who also coached quarterbacks, worked under Howell for several seasons.
This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 3:04 PM.
