University of Memphis President David Rudd tweeted on Sunday that U of M Athletic Director Tom Bowen is here for the long haul amid rumors he was going to leave for the same position at the University of California.
“Seen talk about AD Bowen being a finalist at Cal,” Rudd tweeted. “Pleased to share he's (Bowen) a Tiger for a long time to come. Great things ahead for all Tigers.”
Speculation around Bowen’s job started with a story in bballjones.com on March 25. In the story, it said Bowen was a finalist for the University of California athletic director position.
Bowen became U of M athletic director in 2012, after the retirement of former athletic director R.C. Johnson. He arrived from San Jose State University where he served as athletics director from 2004-12.
His connection to the University of California where he served as an assistant and associate director of athletics at the University of California from July 2000 through September 2002 only drove speculation. He previously worked for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL.
Former U of M President Shirley Raines who hired Bowen said he was the right man for the job.
"The search committee and I wanted someone who could continue the progress of Tiger Athletics developed over the last 16 years under the leadership of R.C. Johnson," Raines said when Bowen was introduced in 2012. "Tom Bowen was the unanimous choice of the search committee. He was highly recommended as a man of integrity, ingenuity and competent leadership."
In Bowen’s tenure, the Memphis Tigers football team arguably had their greatest season ever in 2014. The team went 10-3, winning a tri-share of the American Athletic Conference Championship and the Miami Beach Bowl against BYU in late December.
The Tigers also moved from Conference USA to the American under Bowen in 2013. Bowen played a crucial role in the formation of the American and also brought the AAC Tournament to Memphis in 2014. It was the first time a men’s basketball postseason tournament was played in the Bluff City.
Before their failure to qualify for the postseason this season, the Memphis men's basketball team advanced to the NCAA Tournament third round in 2013 and 2014 in Bowen’s first two seasons as athletic director.
The rifle team posted the best finish in program history in 2014 at the NCAA National Championship, a third-place finish in small bore.
The U of M men’s tennis team won the Conference USA championship in its last year in the conference in 2013. Last year in their first year in the AAC, they qualified for the NCAA Championships for the third consecutive year.
Tiger fans will hope between Rudd and Bowen that U of M athletics are in good hands for a long time to come.
The Tigers football team has given University of Memphis Athletic Director Tom Bowen plenty of reasons to be cheerful. In 2014, the Tigers finished with a 10-3 record and won a tri-share of the American Athletic Conference Championship. Photo by David Minkin
