After back-to-back seasons in which his Valdosta State offense averaged more than 36 points per game, Rick Bowie is making a leap up in college football, sources tell FootballScoop.
Bowie, a veteran coaching assistant with Football Bowls Subdivision experience at both West Virginia and Houston under former coach Dana Holgorsen, is finalizing a deal to become Abilene Christian University's and coach Keith Patterson's offensive coordinator. ACU is an FCS program that competes in the United Athletic Conference.
Like Patterson, Bowie has roots in the game at the prep level, having served in those ranks in Balitmore, Maryland, at both St. Frances Academy and Gilman School.
Bowie's Valdosta State offense the past two seasons under second-year coach Tremaine Jackson has been explosive, helping directly turn around a program that won five games in 2022 into a 12-game, NCAA Division II Playoffs participant this past fall.
The Blazers showed remarkable balance, ranking among the Division's top 25 in both rushing and passing offense; the unit averaged 470-plus and 433-plus ypg in each campaign.
ACU has quickly become more competitive under the guidance of Patterson, a former Big 12 coordinator at Texas Tech.
ACU was 5-5 in 2023 against FCS competition and lost two of those contests by seven or fewer points.