Delta State University Head Men’s Basketball Jim Boone named Jay Bowen as the Statesmen’s new assistant men’s basketball coach on Tuesday. Bowen replaces Chris Richardson, who left in May to be an assistant men’s basketball coach at Central Missouri State University.
"I am thrilled and honored to welcome coach Jay Bowen to the Delta State family," Boone said. "I have known Jay and his family for over 20 years, and they will be great additions to the University and the Cleveland community."
Bowen, who has more than 30 years of coaching experience at the collegiate, junior college and high school levels, comes to Delta State from Cambridge Christian School in Tampa, Florida, where served as head coach and athletic director since 2011. During his tenure, the boy’s basketball squad achieved a top 10 ranking every year.
"We would like to thank Coach Jim Boone, Athletic Director Ronnie Mayers, and President William LaForge for their confidence in us,’ Bowen said. "Having been around Coach Boone and Delta State most of our lives, we understand and appreciate the excellence of both. We are excited to be a part of the DSU family."
Prior to Cambridge Christian, Bowen was an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga in 2010-11, helping UTC to a Southern Conference North Division title.
Bowen served as an assistant coach at Tennessee-Martin for two seasons before moving to UTC. The Skyhawks won the first and only Ohio Valley Conference Championship in 2009 while coaching three future professional athletes, including one NBA draft pick. Bowen also inked the OVC Newcomer of the Year and directed the schools fourth all-time leading scorer.
"Jay brings a wealth of collegiate experience along with very strong recruiting ties to Mississippi and our core geographic recruiting areas," added Boone. "
His coaching career began at Christian Brothers University, where he was the assistant men’s basketball coach and head junior varsity coach from 1984-87.
Bowen left CBU and became the assistant men’s coach and head cross country coach at Armstrong Atlantic State University of the Peach Belt Conference from 1987-88.
Following Armstrong Atlantic, Bowen was a graduate assistant men’s basketball assistant coach for Ole Miss from 1998-89 before serving as East Central Community College Head Men’s Basketball Coach from 1989-91.
Bowen earned Mississippi Junior College Coach of the Year honors during his ECCC tenure. Bowen would return to the school in 1998 for second tour of duty as head men’s basketball and men’s and women’s tennis coach, signing eight future NCAA Division I student-athletes up until his departure in 2001.
In 1991, he moved on to Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for five seasons. Bowen was promoted to the top assistant position for his final two seasons handling the defense and implementation of the motion offense. He recruited five professional players and four athletes that became future coaches during his time at GSU.
Following his GSU days, Bowen was the head coach at Jackson Academy in Jackson, Mississippi, from 1996-98. He led JA to a 36-2 record and a Mississippi State title and was voted the Mississippi Coach of the Year at the Jackson school.
Bowen coached under Austin Peay State legend Dave Loos from 2001-2002, winning back-to-back OVC titles before returning to Oxford, Mississippi from 2002-2005. He was the director of men’s basketball operations for Ole Miss from 2002-04 and from 2004-05 was the head coach at Lafayette High School.
Bowen would move on to be the Associate Head Women’s Basketball Coach at the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee, from 2005-07 and East Texas Baptist University from 2007-08. He is credited with recruiting the Conference-USA Newcomer of the Year at UM and mentored two all-conference performers at ETBU.
"Jay will be involved with all aspects of our program, but his primary responsibilities will be with recruiting and on the floor coaching, as he is a terrific teacher and will serve as a positive mentor to our players," Boone said.
The Statesmen went 26-7 overall and 16-4 in the Gulf South Conference in 2013-14, finishing first place in the Gulf South Conference regular season and runner-up at the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament in Tampa, Florida.
Stay with HoopDirt for the latest college basketball coaching news and rumors.
