UPDATE: Richmond Public Schools updated Friday that John Marshall High School will field a varsity football team in 2026 and plans to hire a new head coach soon.
The school system issued a statement addressing the program's future after the recent departure of head coach Chip Howard.
"Over the last several days, there have been many rumors on social media regarding the future of the John Marshall varsity football program. While the program is in the middle of a leadership transition, JayEm will be fielding a varsity team next year," Richmond Schools posted Friday. "RPS looks forward to hiring a new head coach shortly, and providing a fulfilling experience for all interested students in the fall."
RICHMOND, Va. — Chip Howard has resigned as head football coach at John Marshall High School, CBS 6 Sports has confirmed.
Howard concluded his tenure with the Justices with a 5-22 record over three seasons.
His team made a playoff appearance in 2024.
This past season, John Marshall only played seven games and forfeited the last three games, because they did not have enough eligible players to safely play football.
The team had faced significant challenges last season after several ejections and mandated suspensions.
Howard's departure makes John Marshall the fourth school to make coaching changes this offseason, joining LC Bird, Deep Run and Henrico.
Henrico named Rashaad Harris as their head coach.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version of the story reported John Marshall would not field a varsity team next season and instead focus on building its junior varsity program.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
