Falcon basketball Coach Rick Bowen has been named the American Basketball Coaches Association West Region Coach of the Year.

Bowen led the 2004 Falcons to the University's first WIAC men's basketball championship since 1950. The Falcons finished 20-7 overall and 12-4 in the WIAC. The 20 wins is the third most in a season in Falcon history. He has crafted a 251-213 career record in 18 years at UWRF. The Falcons have had 12 winning seasons during Bowen's tenure. Since 1950 the Falcons enjoyed just eight winning seasons before Bowen arrived in the 1986-87 season. He is UWRF's all-time winningest basketball coach.

Earlier this year he was named the WIAC Coach of the Year.

Bowen surpassed the legendary George Schlaugenhauf in career wins with his 87th win on Nov. 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 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.

This past season’s 20-7 overall record gave the Falcons five straight years of wins in double figures.

Go to the NABC site.

Go to the Falcon statistics page.

Go to the WIAC page.

Rick Bowen