Joe Bowden - Football Coach - Bowling Green State University Athletics

Joe Bowden

Title:
Assistant Coach (Linebackers)
Email:
falconrecruit@bgsu.edu
Phone:
419-372-7083

Coach Bowden
Hometown	Dallas, Texas
College	Alcorn State (2004) - B.S. Alcorn State (2006) - M.Ed.
Family	Wife, Malika, daughters, Sydney and Cheyenne, son, Jaylon
Coaching History
2002-04	NFL Europe, Asst. Linebackers Coach
2006-09	Central Oklahoma, Special Teams Coord./Secondary
2011	Mount St. Mary's (Okla.), Co-Defensive Coord./Defensive Backs
2012	Santa Fe High School (Okla.), Defensive Backs
2012-15	St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams, Asst. Special Teams
2016-17	San Francisco 49ers, Inside Linebackers
2017-20	Missouri Baptist, Defensive Coordinator
2021-24	Tennessee State, Assistant HC/Linebackers
2025-pres.	Bowling Green, Linebackers

Joe Bowden joined Eddie George's inaugural BGSU staff in 2025 as the linebackers coach. Bowden comes to BGSU after spending the last four years at Tennessee State as associate head coach and linebackers coach.

Under Bowden’s tutelage in 2024, Sander Ellis had a standout freshman season at Tennessee State with 86 tackles including 15.5 for loss with 2.5 sacks. Because of that, he was named a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, which goes to the top freshman at the FCS level. Ellis was also a Freshman All-American.

Bowden was part of a defensive staff that posted the No. 1 pass defense in the OVC in 2021-22 and oversaw all-league linebackers K’vaughn Pope (2nd, 2022), Jashsun Bryant (2nd, 2022), and James Green (1st, 2021).

Bowden joined TSU after four years at Missouri Baptist University. Bowden worked as the defensive coordinator and linebacker coach with the Spartans. During his tenure, he produced All-Mid-States Football Association selections Dontrail Johnson, Donovan Baldwin, Dacorey McGee, Joey Morones and Blake Kight, as well as two-time all-conference safety Jaylen Cowley.

Prior to MBU, Bowden was hired in 2016 as the inside linebackers coach for the San Francisco 49ers after four seasons (2012-15) of serving as an assistant linebackers coach and assistant special teams coach for the then St. Louis Rams.

In 2006, Bowden began a two-year stint as the secondary coach for the University of Central Oklahoma. After his time at UCO, Bowden held positions with Mount St. Mary’s High School and Edmond Sante Fe High School in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Bowden began his coaching career working as a defensive assistant for three seasons with NFL Europe before spending two seasons as a defensive and special team’s intern with the Washington Redskins.

As a player, Bowden spent nine seasons playing linebacker in the NFL, primarily with the Houston Oilers/ Tennessee Titans. He was a standout at the University of Oklahoma, earning Big Eight defensive player of the year and All American in 1991.

Bowden earned a bachelor of science degree in general interdisciplinary studies and a master’s of science in secondary education from Alcorn State University.