Bowling Green State University Athletics
Babers Finalizes Staff With Additions Of Mickens And Sowder
March 11, 2014 | Football
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio—Head coach Dino Babers has finalized his coaching staff, announcing the additions of Mike Mickens and Andrew Sowder on Tuesday afternoon. Mickens, who comes to Bowling Green after coaching at Idaho last season, will coach the cornerbacks. Sowder, who was the outside receivers coach at Eastern Illinois last season, will be the Director of Player Personnel at Bowling Green.
"We are excited to welcome both Mike and Andrew to BGSU," Babers said. "Both will be excellent additions to our staff. Coach Mickens is an energetic and dynamic coach who will do a great job with our cornerbacks. Coach Sowder was on staff with me at EIU and will do a tremendous job in his role as Director of Player Personnel."
Mickens, who graduated from Cincinnati in 2011, coached at Idaho last season under Paul Petrino. Mickens' cornerbacks had 10 interceptions a season ago.
"I am excited to be at Bowling Green and back in the state of Ohio," Mickens started. "I would like to thank Coach Babers for this exciting opportunity, and I can't wait to get started with the players and staff at BGSU."
Sowder coached the outside receivers at Eastern Illinois during the past two seasons. In 2013, the Panthers caught 395 passes for 5,213 yards and 55 touchdowns. EIU's receivers averaged 13.2 yards per catch and 372.4 yards per game during the school-record breaking season.
"I am beyond excited to be at Bowling Green," Sowder began. "There is a rich tradition here and a roster full of championship-caliber football players. I look forward to continuing the recruitment of exceptional student-athletes to BGSU."
Sowder joins Babers' staff from Eastern Illinois, where he served as the outside receivers coach for the last two seasons. Sowder played tight end at Baylor, and then served as a student coach assisting with the wide receivers and special teams under Babers.
"I am also excited to continue working for Coach Babers," Sowder continued. "I have played for him in college and worked for him for over four years. I trust him, the staff he has assembled, and the system in which we operate."
Biographies for both Mickens and Sowder can be found below.
Mike Mickens
@CoachMickens
Mike Mickens joins the Bowling Green State University football staff in 2014. He will coach cornerbacks for head coach Dino Babers.
Mickens comes to Bowling Green from Idaho, where he coached under Paul Petrino last season.
Mickens has previously coached at Indiana State and Cincinnati, in addition to Idaho.
He was drafted by Dallas in the 2009 NFL draft. He wound up playing for both Tampa Bay and Cincinnati as well as the Calgary Stampeders before retiring because of injury.
As a collegian, he is Cincinnati's career leader in interceptions (14) as well as interception return yards (296). He was named an All-American in 2007 and 2008 and was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. Additionally Mickens was named All-Big East three times during his career, once on the first team and twice on the second team.
A native of Dayton, Ohio, Mickens is a graduate of Wayne High School where he was a two-time All-Greater Western Ohio Conference cornerback and helped the Warriors to a 24-9 record as well as two league titles during his three seasons. He recorded 205 tackles, 10 interceptions and returned a kickoff for a touchdown and won the Ohio State 300-meter hurdles championship as a junior.
He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Cincinnati in 2011.
Andrew Sowder
@CoachAndySowder
Sowder begins his first year at Bowling Green as Director of Player Personnel in 2014. He comes to the Falcons after coaching under Dino Babers the past two seasons at Eastern Illinois. At EIU, Sowder was responsible for the outside receivers.
2013 was a banner year for the receiving core at EIU. Sowder coached the outside receivers, as the the Panthers caught 395 passes for 5,213 yards and 55 touchdowns. EIU's receivers averaged 13.2 yards per catch and 372.4 yards per game during the school-record breaking season.
During the 2012 season Sowder helped coach a wide receiver unit that hauled in a previous school record 341 passes for 4,019 yards and 34 touchdowns. The outside group was led by seniors Chris Wright and Chavar Watkins. Wright matched the OVC record for consecutvie games with a touchdown reception as he finished in the EIU career top ten in yards, receptions and touchdown catches.
Sowder was a student coach at Baylor assisting Babers with the wide receivers and special teams in 2009 and 2010 following a playing career with the Bears.
During the 2011 season Sowder worked as the running backs coach at West Texas A&M with the team posting an 8-3 record including a win over Central Missouri in the Kanza Bowl. He coached running back Khiry Robinson who was the MVP of the Kanza Bowl and is now a member of the New Orleans Saints.
Sowder is very familiar with the Baylor system having played and coached under Art Briles. He was a tight end at Baylor during the 2007 and 2008 seasons. In August of 2009 he became a student coach assisting Babers with the wide receivers and tight ends. Baylor ended the season with an appearance in the Texas Bowl as the offensive unit ranked 12th in the nation in total offense.
Sowder earned his undergraduate degree from Baylor in 2011 in film/digital media.
"We are excited to welcome both Mike and Andrew to BGSU," Babers said. "Both will be excellent additions to our staff. Coach Mickens is an energetic and dynamic coach who will do a great job with our cornerbacks. Coach Sowder was on staff with me at EIU and will do a tremendous job in his role as Director of Player Personnel."
Mickens, who graduated from Cincinnati in 2011, coached at Idaho last season under Paul Petrino. Mickens' cornerbacks had 10 interceptions a season ago.
"I am excited to be at Bowling Green and back in the state of Ohio," Mickens started. "I would like to thank Coach Babers for this exciting opportunity, and I can't wait to get started with the players and staff at BGSU."
Sowder coached the outside receivers at Eastern Illinois during the past two seasons. In 2013, the Panthers caught 395 passes for 5,213 yards and 55 touchdowns. EIU's receivers averaged 13.2 yards per catch and 372.4 yards per game during the school-record breaking season.
"I am beyond excited to be at Bowling Green," Sowder began. "There is a rich tradition here and a roster full of championship-caliber football players. I look forward to continuing the recruitment of exceptional student-athletes to BGSU."
Sowder joins Babers' staff from Eastern Illinois, where he served as the outside receivers coach for the last two seasons. Sowder played tight end at Baylor, and then served as a student coach assisting with the wide receivers and special teams under Babers.
"I am also excited to continue working for Coach Babers," Sowder continued. "I have played for him in college and worked for him for over four years. I trust him, the staff he has assembled, and the system in which we operate."
Biographies for both Mickens and Sowder can be found below.
Mike Mickens
@CoachMickens
Mike Mickens joins the Bowling Green State University football staff in 2014. He will coach cornerbacks for head coach Dino Babers.
Mickens comes to Bowling Green from Idaho, where he coached under Paul Petrino last season.
Mickens has previously coached at Indiana State and Cincinnati, in addition to Idaho.
He was drafted by Dallas in the 2009 NFL draft. He wound up playing for both Tampa Bay and Cincinnati as well as the Calgary Stampeders before retiring because of injury.
As a collegian, he is Cincinnati's career leader in interceptions (14) as well as interception return yards (296). He was named an All-American in 2007 and 2008 and was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. Additionally Mickens was named All-Big East three times during his career, once on the first team and twice on the second team.
A native of Dayton, Ohio, Mickens is a graduate of Wayne High School where he was a two-time All-Greater Western Ohio Conference cornerback and helped the Warriors to a 24-9 record as well as two league titles during his three seasons. He recorded 205 tackles, 10 interceptions and returned a kickoff for a touchdown and won the Ohio State 300-meter hurdles championship as a junior.
He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Cincinnati in 2011.
Andrew Sowder
@CoachAndySowder
Sowder begins his first year at Bowling Green as Director of Player Personnel in 2014. He comes to the Falcons after coaching under Dino Babers the past two seasons at Eastern Illinois. At EIU, Sowder was responsible for the outside receivers.
2013 was a banner year for the receiving core at EIU. Sowder coached the outside receivers, as the the Panthers caught 395 passes for 5,213 yards and 55 touchdowns. EIU's receivers averaged 13.2 yards per catch and 372.4 yards per game during the school-record breaking season.
During the 2012 season Sowder helped coach a wide receiver unit that hauled in a previous school record 341 passes for 4,019 yards and 34 touchdowns. The outside group was led by seniors Chris Wright and Chavar Watkins. Wright matched the OVC record for consecutvie games with a touchdown reception as he finished in the EIU career top ten in yards, receptions and touchdown catches.
Sowder was a student coach at Baylor assisting Babers with the wide receivers and special teams in 2009 and 2010 following a playing career with the Bears.
During the 2011 season Sowder worked as the running backs coach at West Texas A&M with the team posting an 8-3 record including a win over Central Missouri in the Kanza Bowl. He coached running back Khiry Robinson who was the MVP of the Kanza Bowl and is now a member of the New Orleans Saints.
Sowder is very familiar with the Baylor system having played and coached under Art Briles. He was a tight end at Baylor during the 2007 and 2008 seasons. In August of 2009 he became a student coach assisting Babers with the wide receivers and tight ends. Baylor ended the season with an appearance in the Texas Bowl as the offensive unit ranked 12th in the nation in total offense.
Sowder earned his undergraduate degree from Baylor in 2011 in film/digital media.
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