Lancaster announced two big-name hires Thursday — three-time Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Wariner as its boys track coach and state champion LaJeanna Howard as its girls basketball coach.
Wariner won gold medals in the 400 meters and 4x400 relay at the 2004 Olympics, then added another gold in the 4x400 relay at the 2008 Olympics. He is the fourth-fastest man in world history in the 400, with only world record holder Wayde van Niekerk from South Africa (43.03) and Americans Michael Johnson (43.18, 43.39 and 43.44) and Butch Reynolds (43.29) having run faster than Wariner’s personal best of 43.45 that he ran to win the World Championships in 2007.
Wariner, a former Arlington Lamar and Baylor star, retired from racing in 2017. From 2015 to 2020 he owned a Jimmy John’s sandwich shop just outside of Deep Ellum, and he got into high school coaching in 2019 by working as the head track coach at Parish Episcopal before moving on to Argyle Liberty Christian in 2023.
Wariner will take over a Lancaster boys track program that has won seven team state titles — tied for second-most in UIL history. Lancaster won its last team title in 2012, capping a run of five championships in a row. Wariner led Argyle Liberty Christian’s boys to a third-place team finish at the TAPPS state meet this year.
Howard has a career record of 191-29, she won the Class 6A state title as Duncanville’s coach in 2020, and she also won state championships at that school as a player (2003) and assistant coach (2016). She was suspended for the 2022-23 season by the UIL, which also banned Duncanville from the playoffs that season because of a rules violation.
At Duncanville, Howard played for Cathy Self-Morgan, who won eight state titles in her 42-year coaching career, including five at Duncanville. Lancaster’s girls reached the second round of the playoffs this season, losing to Tyler.
There has been a lot of coaching turnover at Lancaster. Lancaster ISD also announced that it has hired the following head coaches for Lancaster High School — LaQuendra Banks (volleyball), Fortune Kacou (boys soccer), Rachel Walton (softball) and Malcolm Walker (baseball).
Find more high school sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
