A member of the CSU Stanislaus Physical Education Department and Athletics faculty from 1970 until his retirement in 2007 and coach from 1971-96, Jim Bowen coached the Warrior baseball team through its early glory days that included two national titles. In addition to his distinguished 38-year PE Department teaching career at CSU Stanislaus, Bowen guided the Warrior baseball teams to consecutive national championships in 1976 and 1977 and compiled a 639-585 record during his 25 years as head coach.
Bowen's Warrior teams advanced to the NCAA post-season playoffs nine times and to the NCAA Div. III World Series eight times. He was inducted into the Warrior Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001 and the University of Northern Iowa Hall of Excellence in 2006. Bowen was named head coach of the U.S. Baseball Federation team that played in Venezuela in 1980 after serving the previous year as assistant coach of the team that competed in Seoul, Korea.
On the academic side, Bowen served as Chair of the Department of Physical Education and taught a number of classes. He also served as an interim Athletic Director.
A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he played on a state champion high school baseball team, Bowen coached high school baseball for five years and served as an assistant coach at the University of Iowa before coming to CSU Stanislaus to build the baseball program. He earned his master's degree and doctorate from the University of Iowa and bachelor's degree from the University of Northern Iowa.
