Thursday, August 29, 2002

Valparaiso University head men's basketball coach Scott Drew announced the addition of Matthew Bowen as an assistant coach. Bowen replaces Chad Kammerer, who accepted a position with the Miami Heat.

Bowen comes to Valpo after spending seven years at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) as an assistant basketball coach. While at UAB, Bowen helped guide the 1999 Conference USA National Division Champion squad that played in the NCAA Tournament. He was also a part of the UAB staff, under the direction of Murry Bartow, that coached the Blazers to NIT berths in 1997 and 1998. UAB also earned the Conference USA Team Academic Medal in 1998.

In his first year at UAB, Bowen worked under the legendary Gene Bartow, who also was Valpo's head coach from 1964-70. Bowen also served as a team manager for Bob Knight and Indiana University from 1990-95.

"Any head coach will tell you that, in order to have a good team, it starts with the staff," Drew said. "We feel that we've been very fortunate to have had great people work for us in the past. I feel this will continue with the hiring of Matt Bowen, who is an extremely hard worker and has studied under three of the best coaches in Bob Knight, Gene Bartow and Murry Bartow."

Bowen, originally from Wisconsin, earned a Bachelor of Science in HPER/exercise science from Indiana in 1995 and a Master of Arts in health education from UAB in 1999. He is also a grandson of former Indiana governor Otis Bowen.

"I am pleased to join such a proud basketball tradition," Bowen said. "To get back to this part of the nation is a good thing. It will be good to coach players who are passionate about the game."