Arkansas State men’s basketball coach Grant McCasland has announced the hiring of Jareem Dowling as an assistant coach for the Red Wolves program.
“Jareem has a tremendous energy and passion for coaching, recruiting and mentoring young men,” said McCasland. “His vast experience internationally and at multiple levels here in the U.S. will be an invaluable resource. Coach Dowling is an awesome addition and we are excited to welcome him to our Arkansas State family.”
Dowling brings 10 years of collegiate coaching experience to the bench at A-State. He most recently served as the head coach of the Scotland Performance Institute (SPI), a prep school in Scotland, Pa. While with SPI, Dowling developed several players that went on to earn college scholarships, including three that signed with Division I programs. SPI posted a 19-11 record in its first year and won the 2016 Slam City Championship.
“It is an honor to join the great new staff Coach McCasland has assembled,” said Dowling. “Coach Mac has won everywhere he’s been and that is not going to change here. I cannot wait to get to work.”
Prior to SPI, Dowling spent three seasons at Southern Miss as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. He helped the Golden Eagles post a three-year record of 65-37 (.637) and earned a pair of postseason berths. Three players during that span garnered All-Conference USA honors.
In 2013-14, Southern Miss posted a school record 29 wins, claimed a share of the Conference USA regular season championship, posted a perfect 15-0 record at Reed Green Coliseum and made its second straight trip to the NIT Quarterfinals. The 2012-13 campaign saw Southern Miss post a 27-10 record and capture the first postseason victories since 1988 as Southern Miss made a trip to the NIT Quarterfinals.
Dowling moved to Southern Miss after spending one season at Morehead State. In his lone season there, Dowling assisted with all aspects of the program, including recruiting, practice/game preparation and player development. He was also responsible for monitoring the academic progress of all student-athletes in the program.
He joined Morehead State’s staff after three seasons in a similar capacity at Slippery Rock (Pa.). Dowling helped the Rock to three consecutive winning seasons, including 21-win campaigns in 2008-09 and 2010-11.
Prior to Slippery Rock, Dowling was an assistant to legendary junior college coach Bill Lewit at Cecil College (North East, Md.). Dowling’s recruiting and scouting contributed to a 97-6 overall record in three seasons from 2005-08.
Cecil won three Maryland state regular-season championships, three state tournament titles, two regional championships, two Holiday Tournament championships and the 2006 NJCAA Division II national championship during Dowling’s tenure. The Seahawks also finished the season ranked No. 1 in the nation in each those three years.
Originally from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Dowling moved to Wilmington, Del., during his high school years. He led Howard High School to the Blue Hen Flight B championship game and the state’s final four as a senior. Dowling earned honorable mention all-state and first team all-conference honors that season, also securing a spot in the Delaware State Blue and Gold All-Star Game.
Dowling was a two-year starter at Cecil, leading the team to the 2000-01 Maryland JUCO regular-season championship. He earned all-tournament honors in addition to receiving the team’s Hustle and Defense Awards. After an injury in 2001-02, Dowling led the Seahawks to the Region XX Championship and the NJCAA Division II Final Four in 2002-03. His two-year record at Cecil was 51-11 and he played with nine eventual Division I players.
Dowling then transferred to Maryland Eastern Shore, where he was a two-year starter. He scored a career-high 22 points, including five three-pointers, against Baylor. He earned his degree in sociology from UMES in 2005.
He also boasts multiple years of high-level international coaching experience, dating to 2007, when he was handpicked by Virgin Islands Basketball Federation (VIBF) president Usie Richards for a coaching position at the junior level. During his seven years with the VIBF, he has led Virgin Islands national teams to two silver medals and a pair of bronze medals.
Dowling served as head coach of the U.S. Virgin Islands U17 Junior National Team in 2008 and led that squad to a silver-medal finish at the Caribbean Basketball Championship in Antiqua and Barbuda.
His Virgin Islands national squads have participated in FIBA events in Puerto Rico, the United States, Antigua, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Singapore and Brazil – giving Dowling beneficial basketball contacts around the globe.
Dowling earned his bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UMES in 2005, and he received a master’s degree in Sports Management from California University of Pennsylvania in 2011.
Dowling has a 2-year-old daughter, Laiya Croix Dowling.
http://www.astateredwolves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7200&ATCLID=210937203
Photo Courtesy ASU Athletics
