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Rick Bowen begins his 18th season at UW-River Falls in 2003-04, and
35th season coaching overall. The 26 seasons prior to his arrival, UWRF
was 208-379 (.350). In Bowen's 17-year tenure the Falcons have won 234
ball games and lost 205. Bowen surpassed the legendary George Schlaugenhauf
in career wins with his 87th win on November 27, 1993 and reached milestone
victory 200 in the 2000-01 season. Bowen now ranks seventh on the WIAC
all time win list, and is the top active coach in career wins. Bowen has
the longest tenure in the WIAC, enjoying his entire collegiate head-coaching
career with the UWRF Falcons.
Bowen is also the interim athletic director at UWRF.
Bowen took charge of the Falcons in 1986 following five years as Wisconsin
Badger assistant to Steve Yoder, and assistant at Ball State University.
He began his career at the high school level in Indiana, where he also
taught physical education and political science for 12 years. Bowen has
made a significant impact at River Falls since his arrival with seven
consecutive winning seasons between 1989 and 1996; a victorious stretch
that hadn't been felt at UWRF since 1915-1922. Bowen's Falcons made school
history for a second, third, fourth, and fifth time by landing a spot
in the NAIA District 14 playoffs in 1987, 1990, 1991, and 1992.
This past season’s 16-10 overall record gave the Falcons four straight
years of wins in double figures. The Falcons finished 10-6 and in a tie
for third place in the final WIAC standings. The Falcons, seeded third
in the WIAC Tournament, lost a first-round game at home to UW-Eau Claire,
68-65. The Falcons won their final three regular season games to finish
in a tie for third in the WIAC standings.
Between earning a B.S. in physical education from Indiana University in
1966 and a masters degree in 1971 from St. Francis College in Ft. Wayne,
Ind., Bowen was awarded a bronze star while serving as a combat medic
with the United States Army in Vietnam in 1968.
Rick and his wife Sandy met as students at Indiana University. Sandy teaches
biology, botany and zoology at River Falls High School.
They have two sons. Matthew, 32, graduated from Indiana University in
1995 where he served as basketball manager for Bob Knight. Matt and wife
Ashli have one daughter, McKenzi, and they reside in Valparaiso, Ind.,
where he is an assistant coach at Valparaiso University. Before coaching
at VU, he was an assistant coach at Alabama-Birmingham for seven seasons.
Mike, 29, a Dakota County Technical School graduate and auto technician
at Midway Chevrolet in downtown St. Paul is a regular at UWRF games. Michael
is married to former UWRF grad and tennis player, Pamela Anderson. They
live in River Falls.
Contact Coach Bowen.
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Rick Bowen
The Bowen File
| Year |
W |
L |
Pct |
WIAC Place |
| 2002-03 |
16 |
10 |
.615 |
10-6,tie 3rd |
| 2001-02 |
17 |
9 |
.653 |
9-7, 5th |
| 2000-01 |
14 |
11 |
.560 |
9-7, tie 3rd |
| 1999-00 |
14 |
11 |
.560 |
8-8, 4th |
| 1998-99 |
9 |
16 |
.360 |
4-12, tie 7th |
| 1997-98 |
14 |
11 |
.560 |
7-9, 6th |
| 1996-97 |
11 |
14 |
.440 |
5-11, tie 6th |
| 1995-96 |
13 |
12 |
.520 |
5-11, 6th |
| 1994-95 |
14 |
11 |
.560 |
7-9, tie 5th |
| 1993-94 |
16 |
9 |
.666 |
9-7, tie 4th |
| 1992-93 |
12 |
12 |
.500 |
6-10, 6th |
| 1991-92 |
15 |
12 |
.555 |
7-9, 5th |
| 1990-91 |
16 |
12 |
.586 |
10-6, tie 3rd |
| 1989-90 |
14 |
13 |
.535 |
8-8, tie, 4th |
| 1988-89 |
12 |
14 |
.461 |
5-11, 7th |
| 1987-88 |
11 |
15 |
.423 |
5-11, 8th |
| 1986-87 |
13 |
14 |
.481 |
6-10, tie 5th |
| Totals |
231 |
206 |
.533 |
120-149, .446 |
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