Etowah County Chief Deputy Coroner Chris Thacker confirmed that Lincoln High School head football coach and athletic director Keith Howard died after suffering a possible heart attack on the sidelines of the Lincoln-Etowah game in Attalla Friday night.

Howard was in transit from the game to Riverview Regional Medical Center in Gadsden, but died in the ambulance according to Thacker. A doctor at the hospital pronounced Howard dead on arrival.

Howard was entering his ninth season as a head football coach. His first head coaching job came at Ragland High School in St. Clair County. He coached the Purple Devils from 2001 to 2003. He’s coached at Lincoln since 2004. Prior to taking the head coaching job at Ragland, Howard served as an assistant at Lincoln under head coach Allen Brooks.

Howard took the Golden Bears to the quarterfinal round of the Class 4A state playoffs in 2008. He posted a 60-30 record as a head coach from 2001-2008.

For further information in this breaking news event read tomorrow's print edition of the Daily Home or see a later online edition.