About Bill Howerton
Bill Howerton was a well-known and highly regarded member of the local baseball community for more than 30 years before he passed away August 2012. Howerton served as head baseball coach at The University of Scranton from 1987 through 2002 and was the go-to guy for sporting goods in the local community while working at Battaglia’s Sporting Goods in downtown Scranton.
A native of Scranton,Howerton led The University of Scranton Royals to a Freedom League title in 1997. He also led the program to back-to-back MAC tournament berths in 1990 and 1991. “It was an enjoyable experience, one I'll never forget,” Howerton told The Scranton Times upon his retirement in 2002. “I had the pleasure of coaching some outstanding players and working with some great people. More importantly,many of my former players have remained lifelong friends, and I'll always cherish that.”
Among his 182 career wins were a then-school record 19 victories in 1990 and winning seasons in 1989 and 1990. He also coached 17 all-conference performers,including Scott Sannito, a two-time first-team selection and one of five players in the program’s history to earn Academic All-America honors by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Howerton spent a majority of his life around the sport of baseball. A transplanted Californian where his father played for the Oakland Oaks in the Pacific Coast League following a stint with Major League Baseball's New York Giants, Howerton attended Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hills. He was drafted by the Giants and spent a year as a catcher with the team’s minor league franchise in Santa Barbara. Prior to his appointment as head coach at The University of Scranton, Howerton managed in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League for 11 seasons, including leading the Scranton Red Sox to a title in 1975. He also coached the softball team at nearby Lackawanna Junior College.
In 2002, Howerton received a merit award upon induction to the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
