Mark Howlett finished his fifth season as head coach at Buffalo State in 2017, leading the Bengals to an appearance in the NCAA playoffs for the first time since 1984.
Howlett earned SUNYAC Coach of the Year and the United State Coaches East Region Coach of the Year in 2017 for transforming the Buffalo State program in his six seasons with the program. He led the Bengals to a 14-3-3 overall record in 2017, just one win shy of matching a school record for wins in a season. Buffalo State was ranked as high as 13th in the nation this season.Â
This year's Bengals finished 5-0-3 in the SUNYAC regular season and tied a school record with 11 shutouts. Since taking control, Howlett has led the Bengals to the SUNYAC playoffs in four of five seasons and had led the team to 50 victories, including three-straight winning seasons.Â
Howlett, as well as his staff, were named the United States Coaches Senior College Men's East Regional Staff of the Year and were on the ballot for the National Staff of the Year.Â
He made an immediate impact in 2013, turning the program in a new direction. Howlett inherited a team that won only one game in 2012 and had made just two SUNYAC playoff appearances in the previous 14 years. With an abbreviated recruiting season, he fielded a roster that featured 15 new faces. Howlett developed the Bengals into one of the most improved teams in Division III, posting an eight-win improvement in one season. Buffalo State finished 9-9-1, earning the program’s first playoff berth since 2007. With the turnaround, Howlett was named the SUNYAC Coach of the Year.
The winning ways continued, as the Bengals have made the playoffs in three out of the last four seasons under Howlett, including two-straight years, a postseason streak that hasn’t happened at the school in over 32 years.
In five seasons, Howlett has led the Bengals to an overall record of 50-36-9Â and has coached 17Â All-SUNYAC selections.
Howlett, a native of Portsmouth, England, was a three-time collegiate soccer All-American and served as the head coach at SUNY Canton before coming to Buffalo State.
Howlett spent three seasons at Canton, leading a program in transition from NAIA to NCAA Division III. He mentored the Kangaroos to 26 victories in three seasons and successfully recruited 24 new players in his first year on the job.
Prior to working at Canton, Howlett served three seasons as an assistant coach at Nazareth College and was the Director of Coaching for Doug Miller Soccer in Rochester. He also served as the head coach of the Rochester Ravens FC, a professional women’s team in the USL W-League, and coached the New York State West Olympic Development Program girls’ team from 2009-2011.
Howlett was a Youth Trainee at AFC Bournemouth in the English second division, where he was named player of the year in 2004. Howlett played two seasons at Roberts Wesleyan and two years at Judson University (Ill.) and was an NAIA All-American at both institutions. He helped lead Judson to two Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference titles, two Region VII championships and two berths in the NAIA national tournament.
Howlett has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Judson and is pursuing a master’s in educational leadership at St. Lawrence. He also holds a USSF "B" license from the U.S. Soccer Federation, as well as an "Advanced National" diploma through the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
Howlett and his wife Regan have two daughters, Lillian and Willow.
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Updated 11/29/17
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