Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowers To Join Family In Washington
June 08, 2006 | Football
June 8, 2006
Bowling Green, Ohio - Bowling Green State University linebackers coach John Bowers has announced that he will join his family in Seattle where his wife was named head gymnastics coach at the University of Washington yesterday.
"This is a great opportunity for my wife and the right thing to do for my family," said Bowers. "BGSU is a first-class place and I will certainly miss the outstanding group of coaches I have had the pleasure of working with and also the young men who I have been fortunate to coach. It will be hard to find a place as good as Bowling Green."
Bowers was the first new assistant to arrive on campus when Urban Meyer was assembling his staff after the 2000 season.
"We really wish J.B. and Joanne all the best," said BGSU head coach Gregg Brandon. "John would do whatever was needed to help the program with his tireless enthusiasm and energy. This is a great opprtunity for his family and we'll be anxious to catch up with them down the road."
Bowers was scheduled to coach linebackers in 2006 after coaching defensive backs in 2005 and safeties in 2004. In 2003, he was the special teams coordinator and defensive ends coach and in his first two years at BGSU, he was the recruiting coordinator and linebackers coach.
During his tenure, six players he coached were named All-MAC and two kids were named Freshman All-Americans.
Joanne Bowers, who spent the previous five seasons as a highly-successful assistant coach at the University of Michigan, helped lead the Wolverines to a seventh-place finish at the 2006 NCAA Championships and will begin her duties at the UW on June 26.
During her five seasons with the Wolverines, Michigan went to the NCAA Championships every year and won four Big Ten Championships. Bowers, who focused primarily on floor exercise and balance beam for Michigan, coached six individual All-Americans on beam and seven on floor. In addition, she tutored individuals to Big Ten Championships on beam and floor four times during her tenure.
Prior to joining the Michigan staff, Bowers spent four years as an assistant at Kent State University. From 1989-93, Bowers was the head women's gymnastics coach at Illinois State University, where she coached individuals to the NCAA Regional and National Championships.
The Bowers have two sons: David, 23, who is graduating this year from BGSU, and Ross, 9, who just completed the third grade.
