NORTH TEXAS FOOTBALL: Clint Bowen Named Mean Green Defensive Coordinator (Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019)

[Harry]

MEAN GREEN FOOTBALL

Clint Bowen Named Mean Green Defensive Coordinator

 

DENTON – Kansas’ Clint Bowen has been named North Texas' defensive coordinator and safeties coach, head football coach Seth Littrell announced Thursday. Bowen previously served as the Mean Green’s defensive coordinator in 2011.

 “Coach Bowen is a huge addition for us and we are happy to have the opportunity to bring such an experienced defensive coach back to Denton,” Littrell said. “He has been successful throughout his career, and is someone I respect greatly. I can’t wait to bring him into our family and culture and give him the opportunity to leave a great mark on our program.”

 Bowen has shown a flexible approach defensively built around the strengths of his rosters, employing both three-and four-man fronts successfully throughout his career as a coordinator. Bowen also has a proven track record coaching, evaluating and recruiting NFL talent, working with 27 NFL players throughout his career to date on his side of the ball.

 Bowen most recently served as the safeties coach on Les Miles’ staff at Kansas in 2019, but previously was the Jayhawks’ defensive coordinator under former head coaches David Beaty, Charlie Weis and Mark Mangino. 

“First, I would like to thank Seth Littrell and Wren Baker for the opportunity to return to UNT,” Bowen said. “It had to be the perfect situation for me to leave KU and that is exactly what UNT offers. Coach Littrell is so well respected in the coaching profession and has established a foundation and culture at UNT that puts the program in position for tremendous success. I am excited to be a part of the future of Mean Green football.”

 In 2019, Bowen coordinated a safeties group led by All-Big 12 honorable mention selection Mike Lee, who paced the Jayhawks with 72 tackles (54 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, an interception, a pair of forced fumbles and a pair of pass break-ups. Bowen’s other starting safety, Bryce Torneden, was just behind his teammate Lee, with 71 tackles (49 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss, a half sack, a pass break-up, a quarterback hurry, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.

 In 2018, as Kansas’ defensive coordinator, Bowen organized a KU defense that featured two All-Big 12 First Team members in defensive end Daniel Wise and linebacker Joe Dineen Jr. Dineen, who led the FBS in solo tackles for the second-straight season, was tabbed All-America Second Team by the Associated Press, Sporting News and Sports Illustrated. The pair finished as the top two Kansas players all-time in tackles-for-loss. Additionally, he mentored cornerback Corione Harris to Freshman All-America honors. The Jayhawks ranked eighth in the nation in turnovers forced under Bowen’s watch, and were first in the category among teams that played 12 games in 2018.

Bowen’s 2017 defense featured four All-Big 12 players, including Torneden, who earned honorable mention honors from the conference coaches in his first season as a starter.

 Bowen coached a pair of hard-hitting safeties for KU in 2016. Led by veteran Fish Smithson with 93 tackles and Lee, then a freshman, with 77 stops. Smithson went on to earn All-Big 12 First Team honors on his way to signing a free agent contract with the Washington Redskins. Lee found his name on Athlon Sports’ Freshman All-America Team, while he also picked up All-Big 12 honorable mention honors from the league coaches.

 In 2016, Kansas had the Big 12’s best passing defense, allowing just 219.8 yards per game, the best third-down defense, allowing opponents conversions on just 35.6% of attempts and the second-best red zone defense in the conference at 77.4%.

 In 2015, Bowen guided Smithson to an FBS-leading 87 solo tackles. Smithson came within three tackles of tying Bowen’s own top-three mark in KU history for tackles in a season by a defensive back and became the first DB to lead the team in tackles since Darrell Stuckey in 2009. Smithson’s 111 tackles were the most by a DB since 1998.

 Bowen was tabbed as the Jayhawks’ interim head coach on Sept. 28, 2014, posting a 1-7 mark while guiding KU through the remainder of the 2014 campaign. He had previously served as the special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach in 2012, before moving over to coaching the linebackers in January of 2013, then adding the title of defensive coordinator in December of 2013.

 In addition to his interim head coach duties, Bowen still tutored the Jayhawk linebackers, specifically Ben Heeney, who was a unanimous All-Big 12 First Team selection in 2014 and a fifth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

 Bowen completed a one-year stint as defensive coordinator and safeties coach in Denton for North Texas in 2011. Bowen joined the Mean Green after spending the 2010 season at Western Kentucky, where he also held the defensive coordinator position.

The Lawrence native and 1995 Kansas grad returned to his roots in 2012, as he accumulated 13 years of coaching experience with the Jayhawks prior to his most recent return to Lawrence. He began his Kansas coaching career by working as a defensive graduate assistant coach for KU in 1996. He then worked one season as a graduate assistant at Minnesota before returning to Kansas as a graduate assistant in 1998-99 and then serving as assistant director of football operations during the 2000 season.

Bowen took over the role of special teams coordinator in 2001, a position he held at KU through the 2005 season. In addition to manning the special teams, Bowen also coached tight ends (2001), running backs (2002) and safeties (2003-05) during that span.

In 2006 Bowen was promoted to co-defensive coordinator and continued coaching the Jayhawk safeties from 2003-09. Following the 2007 season he was elevated to defensive coordinator, helping guide the Jayhawks to a victory at the Insight Bowl in 2008.

During his previous stint on the KU coaching staff, the Jayhawks posted a 3-1 bowl record, including a 24-21 win over Virginia Tech in the 2008 Orange Bowl. Kansas finished the 2007 season with a 12-1 record and No. 7 national ranking in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today coaches polls.

Bowen had at least one of his players earn postseason All-Big 12 Conference recognition each year. The 2007 Kansas defense ranked fourth in the nation in scoring defense and ranked in the top-10 nationally in both passing defense and rushing defense.

Bowen was a hard-hitting defensive back for the Jayhawks in 1990, 1992-93, following one season at Butler County Community College. He led the KU defense in tackles in 1993 with 114 total stops. That figure ranks as the third-most tackles by a Jayhawk defensive back in program history.

 Bowen was instrumental in helping the Jayhawks to an 8-4 final record, a No. 22 national ranking and a win over Brigham Young in the 1992 Aloha Bowl. He was the recipient of the school’s Willie Pless Tackler of the Year Award following his senior season in 1993.

 He is the product of a football family. His father (Charley Bowen) was a high school All-American at Lawrence High School in Kansas and his older brother (Charley, Jr.) was a four-year letterwinner as a defensive back for the Jayhawks (1989-92).

 Bowen and his wife, Kristie, have two sons, Baylor and Banks.

 What They’re Saying:

 Former Kansas head coach Mark Mangino:

“Clint will do an outstanding job as UNT’s new defensive coordinator. He is an exceptional teacher of fundamentals and schemes and does it with with a tireless work ethic. He played a key role in our success at Kansas and is also an intense recruiter that knows how to build relationships. Clint and his wonderful family will be a positive addition to the Mean Green family!”

Former Kansas and Five-Time NFL Pro Bowl CB Aqib Talib:

“I remember playing for coach Bowen at KU. I came in as a safety, so he was my position coach. I recall him explaining the same cover 4 concepts that I played in high school, but it made much more sense coming from him. He was a great teacher and he demanded his players to know their assignments. I believe the more experience you have at a job, the better you will be at it. With his experience, I think he will make a great defensive coordinator for North Texas.”

Former Kansas and current Seattle Seahawks S Bradley McDougald:

“Coach Bowen is one of the most passionate coaches I’ve ever been around. He has an excellent eye for talent and brings the best out of his players.”

Former Kansas and current Dallas Cowboys DE Dorance Armstrong:

“Coach Bowen pushed us hard and demanded we do everything right, but also was always there for us if we needed anything.”

[Wag Tag]

Congrats to all. P5 position coach, P5 DC and a P5 inter HC. Plus a strong recruiter. Solid hire! GMG

[Mean Green 93-98]

Wow, this is unexpected.  He made a difference with the defense right away when he was here before.  Welcome back, Coach Bowen!

[cogido]

Sounds like Seth is fired up. Walking the walk and not just talking the talk. OK, I’ll ante up again, deal me in. I think I’ve learned to smell right and wrong moves by previous HCs and ADs at North Texas, believe this one passes the smell test. 

[Felozano]

High praise from his former players.  I look forward to seeing what he can do with this talent on Defense.  GMG!