Former Good Counsel AD Steve Howes Takes Over St. Mary's Ryken Athletics

Former Our Lady of Good Counsel athletic director Steve Howes has been named director of athletics at St. Mary's Ryken, bringing more than two decades of leadership experience to one of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference's premier athletic programs.

Howes, who brings more than two decades of experience in athletic leadership, coaching, and student development, will lead one of the region's premier high school athletic programs.

Howes Takes the Helm

"I am honored to join the St. Mary's Ryken community," said Howes. "I look forward to working alongside our coaches, student-athletes, families, and alumni to continue building a championship culture that emphasizes excellence in competition, academics, faith, and service."

A Proven Athletic Leader

During his tenure at Good Counsel, Howes led significant fundraising efforts at the Olney, Maryland private school, negotiated a department-wide apparel partnership with Under Armour and spearheaded major athletic facility renovations and branding initiatives.

Before moving into athletic administration, Howes spent 15 seasons as head men's basketball coach at Catholic University, becoming the winningest coach in program history with a 276-138 record and five NCAA Tournament appearances.

St. Mary's Ryken offers multiple opportunities for student-athletes to develop values such as leadership, integrity, determination, teamwork and sportsmanship. Located in Southern Maryland, St. Mary's Ryken competes in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) and offers 23 varsity sports programs including 40 teams.

"We are excited to welcome Steve to the St. Mary's Ryken community," said Principal Tom Campbell. "Steve's experience, vision, and commitment to student-athlete success make him an outstanding fit for our school. We are confident he will build upon our tradition of athletic excellence while continuing to foster a culture rooted in faith, character, and sportsmanship."

Staufenberger Returns to Girls Soccer

In addition to naming a new athletic director, St. Mary's Ryken also announced two major coaching hires for the upcoming school year.

Both Pete Staufenberger, the new head girls soccer coach and Jay Sothoron, who will lead the boys lacrosse team, are experiencing a homecoming with the Saints.

A longtime leader in Southern Maryland soccer, Staufenberger brings more than four decades of coaching experience spanning the high school, collegiate, club and Olympic Development Program levels. He has an extensive background that includes leadership positions at St. Mary's College of Maryland, Maryland Rush Soccer Club, and the Maryland Development Olympic Program (ODP). Staufenberger has also enjoyed multiple successful coaching stints at St. Mary's Ryken.

"We're excited to welcome Coach Staufenberger back to lead our girls' soccer program," said Principal Tom Campbell. "His experience, passion for player development, and longstanding commitment to St. Mary's Ryken make him an outstanding fit. He has a clear vision for building a competitive program while developing student-athletes of character."

Staufenberger's coaching philosophy centers on developing every player within the program.

"My goal is to instill in both our varsity and junior varsity teams a determined willingness to compete in every match we play," said Staufenberger. "I want to develop the entire program, not just the varsity team. Every player will improve their technical skills, gain a better understanding of formations and tactics, and become familiar with an 'SMR style' of play."

Staufenberger has dedicated his career to developing players at every level and his return is a reflection of St. Mary's Ryken's continued commitment to building a championship-caliber girls soccer program while fostering the growth of student-athletes both on and off the field.

Sothoron Comes Home

St. Mary's Ryken alumnus Jay Sothoron ('96) returns to his alma mater after building one of Texas' top high school lacrosse programs. He brings more than two decades of success while coaching at the high school and NCAA Division I and II levels. Sothoron is widely recognized as one of the sport's most accomplished coaches.

For the past eight seasons, Sothoron served as Program Director and Head Coach at the Episcopal School of Dallas (ESD). During his tenure, ESD captured a pair of Texas State Championships (2019, 2024) and won six conference championships and was consistently ranked among the nation's top programs. He guided ESD to wins over nationally ranked programs Landon and Bullis in 2026. Sothoron, who was named the Texas State Coach of the Year in 2024, is the winningest coach in ESD history.

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