Fran Howard coached field hockey, basketball, soccer, volleyball, track and field and softball during her 16-year career at Willamette. Her teams won 23 Conference or regional championships. From 1973-77, Willamette won the Women's Conference of Independent Colleges all-sport trophy each year. She was a finalist for Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women small college basketball coach of the year in 1980. Howard also served as women's athletic director at Willamette for eight years. She was inducted into the NAIA Coaches Hall of Fame in 1986.