Urban Bowman

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Urban Bowman
Born:November 16, 1937
Edmonton Eskimos (Defensive Line)
1991–1993Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Defensive Line/Special Teams)
1992Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Interim Head Coach)
1994Ottawa Rough Riders (Defensive Coordinator)
1995–1997Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Asst. Head Coach/Special Teams/Defensive Line)
1997Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Interim Head Coach)
1998Mansfield (Defensive Line)
1999Mansfield (Offensive Line)
2000Toronto Argonauts (Special Teams)
2004Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Special Teams)
2005Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Linebackers)

Urban M. Bowman Jr. (November 16, 1937 – February 25, 2018) was an American-Canadian gridiron football player and coach who served as the interim head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Early life

Bowman was born on November 16, 1937, in

Westminster High School. He attended the University of Delaware and played for their football team.[1]

After graduating in 1959, Bowman joined the

Army Commendation Medal for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service.[3]

During his youth, Bowman served as a waiter in the Baltimore Colts' dining room during training camp, which was held in his hometown of Westminster, Maryland.[1]

Coaching career

Bowman began his coaching career in 1961 as a volunteer assistant for the Delaware freshman football team. A year later he received his first paid coaching position at the University of Dayton.[4]

After serving as an assistant at

Edmonton Eskimos as a defensive line coach.[3][6]

Bowman left coaching again in 1974, but later returned as an assistant at Bemidji State. He returned to the CFL in 1985 as the defensive line and special teams coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He left the Bombers in 1989 to become the Ottawa Rough Riders' Offensive Line Coach, but returned to Winnipeg in 1991.[7]

In 1992, Bowman was named the Blue Bombers' interim head coach after head coach

Eastern Division. The Blue Bombers defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 59-11 in the Division Final, but lost to the Calgary Stampeders 24-10 in the 80th Grey Cup.[8]

Murphy returned in 1993 and Bowman moved to his prior position as defensive line and special teams coach. In 1995, he joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as assistant head coach. In 1997, he was promoted to interim head coach after Don Sutherin was fired. The Tiger-Cats would win only one of their remaining eleven games and Bowman was let go at the end of season.[9]

Bowman spent the 1998 season as the defensive line coach at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania.[10] After a battle with prostate cancer, Bowman returned to Mansfield the following year as offensive line coach.[11] In 2000, Bowman joined the Toronto Argonauts as special teams coach for the final seven games of the season.[12]

During the 2004 season, Bowman joined the Blue Bombers as special teams coach.[7] He rejoined the Winnipeg coaching staff midway through the following season when linebackers coach Rod Rust left the team to attend to personal matters.[5]

Coaching record

Team Year Regular Season Post Season
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Result
WIN 1992 11 7 0 .611 1st in East Division 1 1 Lost in 80th Grey Cup
HAM 1997 1 10 0 .091 4th in East Division 0 0 Missed playoffs
Total 12 17 0 .414 1 Division Championship 1 1

Personal life

Bowman's first wife died in 1973. He remarried, to second wife Cindy.[13]

Bowman became a citizen of Canada in 1995.[5]

In 2009, Bowman was inducted into the Carroll County Sports Hall of Fame.[1]

Death

On February 25, 2018, the Blue Bombers announced that Bowman had died earlier that day, from prostate cancer. He was 80.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Aaron Wilson (April 17, 2009). "Carroll Hall of Fame: Bowman credits Carroll for helping him to CFL success". Carroll County Times. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  2. ^ Stats Crew-Urban Bowman Coaching Record
  3. ^ a b "Eskimos name coaches". CP. March 2, 1972. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  4. ^ "Bowman Gets Dayton Post". UPI. April 10, 1962.
  5. ^ a b c "Veteran football coach touches down in Interlake". Interlake Spectator. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  6. ^ "All-Time Coaches". Edmonton Eskimos. Edmonton Eskimos. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  7. ^ a b "Daley names Urban Special Teams Coach". Our Sports Central. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  8. ^ "Grey Cup Winners". Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  9. ISSN 1189-9417
    . Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  10. ^ "Profile: CNN". CNN. July 8, 1998.
  11. ^ Joe Mink (September 2, 1999). "Mansfield football has no place to go but up after 0-11 year". Star-Gazette. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  12. ^ "Argos add Bowman, Meyer". CBC.ca. 2000-11-10. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  13. ^ "Bowman memorial tomorrow". The Sun. February 24, 1973.
  14. ^ "Former Bombers coach Bowman dies". February 28, 2018.
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