Greater Atlanta Christian School is excited to announce the hiring of Lamar Howard as the new Head Coach of the Varsity Boys Soccer program. Howard takes over for longtime head coach Thom Jacquet, who recently accepted the Head Men’s Soccer Coach position at Harding University after 35 years of coaching. 

Within that span of time, the GAC Varsity Boys Soccer program has won six GHSA State Championships (2000, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2022), finished as State Runner-up three times (1998, 2006, 2011) and made 14 Final Four appearances (1998, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011 — 2016, 2021, 2022).

Howard brings more than 15 years of coaching and athletic leadership experience to GAC, including nine years as a head soccer coach and multiple state semifinal appearances across two successful programs.

Most recently, Howard served as Soccer Program Director and Head Coach at Mount Vernon School, where he rebuilt the program into a consistent state contender. During his tenure, Mount Vernon advanced to the GHSA Final Four in both 2024 and 2026 while steadily improving each season. Howard also established a strong developmental pipeline by leading the middle school, junior varsity, and varsity programs under one unified vision.

Prior to Mount Vernon, Howard served as Soccer Program Director at The Walker School from 2016-2020. During that stretch, Walker reached the Final Four twice (2016, 2019), finished as the GHSA State Runner-Up in 2017, and won the Region 6 championship in 2019.

“Coach Howard stood out throughout the interview process because of his strong alignment with the mission and culture of GAC,” said GAC Athletic Director Tim Hardy. “We believe that he is the right person to lead the next chapter of Spartan Soccer. Coach Howard has a deep Christian faith, a passion for developing young men, and a proven track record of building competitive soccer programs. 

“I am incredibly excited to join the GAC soccer community. From my first experience on campus, it was clear that GAC is a special place where excellence, relationships, and faith are deeply woven into the daily student experience. It’s an honor to step into this role, and I’m excited to join this dynamic soccer family and continue to grow this program for years to come,” said Howard. 

GACl looks forward to the future of Varsity Boys Soccer under Coach Howard’s leadership, as he begins the next chapter of a championship-caliber program.