Jason Rice was hired to be the Monarchs' running backs coach in 2018. In his first season at Methodist, Rice coached Vontre Howard to USA South Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors and first team all-conference honors.
In year one with the “Roadrunners,” Rice coached up the Monarch rushing attack to a record-breaking season. As a team, the Monarchs tallied 2,095 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns for an average of 232.8 yards per game. Starting running back, Howard, led the charge, rushing for 1,335 yards in only nine games, shattering the Monarchs' single-season record of 1,054 yards, set back in 2005. Howard finished 14th in the nation in total yards rushing and eighth in the nation in yards per game (148.1). He also averaged 7.9 yards per carry and scored 10 touchdowns. Backup Nick Baker ran for 373 yards and was eighth in the conference with eight rushing touchdowns.
The rushing duo began making headlines in week 5 of the 2018 season when they combined for 390 yards (Howard – 248, Baker – 142) of the Monarchs’ (school) record-breaking 471 rushing yards, as Methodist defeated Huntingdon, 48-34. Howard’s total on the day also gave him the school record for most rushing yards in a single game.
In 2019, Rice again coached Howard to an all-conference selection. Both Howard and Baker rushed for over 500 yards each as Methodist totaled 1,123 yards on the ground.
Prior to MU, Rice spent two years at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania, where he coached receivers in his first year, and running backs in the second. He mentored three players to all-conference honors during that span.
Before he made the move to coaching at the college level, Rice spent two years as a high school coach at Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pa., where he coached defensive backs.
A native of Palmyra, Pa., Rice attended Albright College in Reading, Pa., where he played defensive back. He graduated with a degree in history.
Twitter Handle: @CoachRice_MU
