St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School announced the hiring of Bobby Howard as its new head Vikings Baseball Coach and Chase Weems as its assistant Vikings Baseball Coach.
 
Howard is one of the most successful high school baseball coaches in Georgia High School Association history with a record of 985–296 wins, a winning percentage of 77 percent. He has 39 seasons as a head baseball coach with 31 seasons spent at Columbus High School in Columbus, Ga., and, most recently, two years at Central High School in Phenix City, Ala. During his time as head coach, Columbus High School won 12 state championships and seven state runner-up finishes to go along with 29 region championships. He has also coached at his alma mater, Jordan High School; Chattahoochee Valley Community College; Kendrick High School; and Middle Georgia College.
 
Howard has been recognized as a three-time national coach of the year, ABCA/Diamond Baseball National Coach of the year in 2000, USA Today National Coach of the Year in 2004, ESPN High School Coach of the Year in 2012. He has been inducted into Columbus State University’s Hall of Fame in 1998, the Georgia Dugout Sports Hall of Fame in 2004, the Chattahoochee Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, the Sunbelt Classic Hall of Fame, and recently selected to the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
 
In his 39 years as a head coach, many of Howard’s former players have played college baseball and at least 10 of his players went on to the major leagues, including new Assistant Vikings Baseball Coach Chase Weems. Raised in Columbus, Weems was a four-year varsity letterman under Coach Howard at Columbus High School. The two-time Georgia High School State Champion and two-time runner-up signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Alabama. A catcher, Weems was drafted in the 6th round by the New York Yankees in 2007. Weems retired from professional baseball in 2014 and returned to the Chattahoochee Valley to coach baseball. He spent two years coaching with Howard at Central High School.
 
“It’s a great day to Be A Viking! We are thrilled to welcome Coach Howard and Coach Weems to the St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School family,” said Ronie Collins, St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School President and High School Principal. “We are excited about what the future holds for our Vikings Baseball players under their leadership and guidance.”