In a move that has shocked the Nevada prep football landscape, longtime Reed football coach Ernie Howren has resigned and will take over at Bishop Manogue.
Bishop Manogue put out a release announcing the hire on Tuesday morning. Howren later confirmed his decision to the Sparks Tribune over text. He will begin transitioning to his new role immediately.
“After 16 years at Reed High School, I am thankful for the relationships and friendships I have built and will certainly miss the players and the fellow coaches,” Howren said in the release. “However, I am thrilled to join the Miner family and am excited for what is to come.”
Howren will take over for Thomas Peregrin, who resigned in the offseason.
His name was rumored to be in the hat following Peregrin’s decision, but then again, what school wouldn’t want the best football coach in Northern Nevada, and arguably in the state? Howren went 146-54 in 16 seasons at Reed. He led the Raiders to five straight regional titles, before Damonte Ranch snapped the streak in November with a 49-45 comeback victory over the Raiders.
Howren turned the Raiders into a dynasty in Northern Nevada with the worst facilities in the region. The football field was deemed a hazard by the NIAA before a six-figure upgrade in 2014. One year later, the NIAA ripped Reed of the ability to host state semifinal games after the Raiders’ home field was a liability in a state semifinal against Bishop Gorman – a 41-13 Gaels’ victory.
At Bishop Manogue, Howren will use one of the nicer facilities in the region and play on a FieldTurf surface – a benefit for his spread offense.
Howren inherits a Miners program that has gone 14-33 over the last five years and has not put together a winning season since 2011, when it went 6-5.
Ryan says
Very sad to see Coach Ernie Howren go, He was a great hire all those years ago, he built a great program at REED, and he didnt leave the cupboard dry. 42 returning Juniors and another 38 sophomores that won league.
Mark Sertic says
Greeed!!!
Thanks Earnie for showing you players how not to be!
John Lott says
Greed?
Maybe Mark should have paid attention in a math class. Look at the stipend earned by football coaches and divide that by the hundreds (or more) hours spent preparing and coaching kids. We are talking pennies per hour. And since Ernie, and his staff are very good at their job, they get to work additional weeks into the season without additional compensation.
Ernie, like anyone who coaches High School sports, does so because they love the game and they love the kids, not the paycheck. And Ernie has done this for 20 years at Reed. He is a class act and does not deserve the snarky and uninformed comment.
TC says
Bishop Gorman assistant coaches could outcoach Howren, now how about an article about being a traitor, you bash Bishop Gorman, this is in the same league as all those things you hate about BG, Howren went for better facilities and now all the good kids will end up at Manogue, Hipocrits GO GAELS !!!
Jackson says
Yeah, Gorman assistants can do wonders with a load of FIVE star recruits who relocate to Vegas to play high school football. I’m sure a whole bunch of national recruits will be swarming to Reno to play at Manogue. What a dumb analogy!
Brian Branch says
No one on the outside really knows why Coach Howren left. First he has every right to leave. Second, Reed’ returning players & their parents have a right to be a little pissed. My take. He left cause of better facilities, probably more $ and Manogue’ last two freshmen classes have been undefeated and they had 15 sophomores playing on Varsity this year. They are going to be really good the next two years and I think Howren felt he could win more in the long run at Manogue than at Reed. One other thing. BG does recruit, but so does Manogue. Only difference. BG does it nationally and Mangoue does it locally.