Howard Cornelius Gentry Sr. (April 15, 1921 – February 14, 1995) was an American football coach. He was the 12th head football coach at Tennessee A&I State College—now known as Tennessee State University—in Nashville, Tennessee, serving for six seasons, from 1955 until 1960, and compiling a record of 42–10–1. Gentry as also the athletic director at Tennessee State from 1961 to 1976.