MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Alabama A&M University Assistant AD for Athletic Communications Brian Howard is among the individuals who will be honored during the 23^rd Annual Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Alumni Association's Legends Awards and Roast on Saturday, May 16, 2026. The event will be held at 7 p.m. at J. Garrick Hardy Center on the campus of Alabama State University.
 
The Association's Legends Awards and Roast annually honors former student-athletes as well as former or current coaches, athletics administrators or staff members who have had positive impacts on the historic conference. 
 
Howard, who has served as the Assistant AD for Athletic Communications for the past three years at Alabama A&M, will be honored as the 2026 Charles "Chuck" Prophet Wagon Master Award recipient.
 
The Charles "Chuck" Prophet Wagon Master Award was created in memory of Chuck Prophet, a founding member of the SWAC Alumni Association, who died in June of 2008. Chuck was Sports Information Director and Director of Athletics, among other duties at Mississippi Valley State University.  Chuck's greatest legacy is his dedication and loyalty to the SWAC and Mississippi Valley.  This award is presented annually to an employee at a conference member institution who best exemplifies Chuck's spirit and dedication and loyalty to their school and the SWAC.  
 
This year, three individuals are slated to receive the Roscoe Nance Lifetime Achievement Award. The awardees will be retired Alabama State University Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer and former Alabama State Representative, John Knight, and the Alabama State University Hornets former legendary head football coach Houston Markham (posthumously).  Alvin Hollins, retired athletics media relations director at Florida A&M University and Southern University, is the third recipient of the Roscoe Nance Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Dennis Thomas Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Lonza Hardy, Jr., former president of the SWAC Alumni Association and former athletics administrator at Southern University, Alcorn State University, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, Mississippi Valley State University, and the SWAC Office. He also worked in athletics administration at Hampton University of the Mideastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Albany State University of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).
 
The Roast guest of honor is former Alabama A&M head men's basketball coach Vann Pettaway. 
 
Tickets for the 23^rd Annual Legends Awards and Roast are $75 dollars each, or with a table of eight (8) selling for $600 dollars. Tickets and tables will be available for purchase soon. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Association's NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) program and will benefit a male and a female athlete from SWAC institutions. 

About the SWAC Alumni Association 
The purpose of the SWAC Alumni Association, which was founded on December 10, 1999 in Birmingham, Ala., is to support Southwestern Athletic Conference events, promote the conference's athletics heritage and help preserve its legacy of competitive excellence. Former student-athletes from any SWAC-sponsored sport and from all member institutions are eligible for membership, as are current and former coaches, athletics administrators and staff members as well as game officials, employees of the conference office and supporters of SWAC athletics.
 
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