Joe Bowen

Joe Bowen is entering his second season as Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach at the University at Buffalo.

In 2024, the Bulls went 9-4 and defeated Liberty in the Bahamas Bowl.

The Bulls aggressive style paid off as they led the MAC in interceptions with 13, ranked third in sacks with 33 and fourth in forced fumble (10) and fumble recoveries (9). Buffalo finished with a school-record 92 tackles for loss on the season.

As linebackers coach, Bowen coached two of the best to ever play the position in a Buffalo uniform.

Shaun Dolac was UB’s first Consensus All-American and named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year after leading the nation in tackles with a school-record 168, ranking fourth in interceptions with five and sixth in tackles for loss with 18.5.

Fellow linebacker Red Murdock, also an All-MAC First Team selection, ranked second in the nation in tackles with 156 and added 16.5 tackles for loss and a school-record seven forced fumbles which were also tops in FBS.

Bowen was named the 2024 Linebacker Coach of the Year by FootballScoop.

Bowen came from Miami (OH) where he served as linebackers coach and running game coordinator.

Bowen spent two seasons at Miami and helped build the RedHawks into one of the best defensive units in the Mid-American Conference. In 2022, Miami was the conference’s top-ranked scoring defense and run defense. In 2023, the RedHawks ranked in the top three in the MAC in scoring defense, rushing defense and defensive efficiency. Nationally, Miami ranked in the Top 10 in scoring defense, third-down defense and redzone defense.

Miami won the 2023 MAC Championship, led by linebacker Matt Salopek who was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, linebacker Ty Wise was one of only two players in the FBS with 120+ tackles and 8+ sacks on the season.  

Prior to being hired at Miami, Bowen spent the 2021 season as a defensive graduate assistant at South Carolina on the same staff as Lembo. In Bowen's lone season with the Gamecocks, they led the SEC in turnovers with 24 while having the best total defense and scoring defense the school has had since 2013. The Gamecock defense finished first in the SEC and seventh nationally in pass yards allowed per game.

Prior to that, Bowen was a defensive analyst and defensive graduate assistant at Florida State for three seasons. Bowen coached with inside linebackers in 2018 and 2020 and moved to outside linebackers in 2019. 

Bowen spent the 2017 season at Michigan State as a defensive graduate assistant/assistant LB coach. While at Michigan State, Bowen coached in a defense that finished as the nation’s second-ranked rushing defense, seventh-ranked total defense and 18^th-ranked third-down defense. The 2017 Spartans yielded an average of only 95.31 yards per game on the ground. 

Bowen began his career as a defensive graduate assistant at Miami (OH) for the 2015-16 seasons.

A native of Grand Rapids, MI, Bowen graduated from Miami University in 2015 with a degree in finance and a minor in coaching. He earned his master’s degree in kinesiology and health in 2017 from Miami.

As a student at Miami, he served as an offensive intern from 2013-15 and as a student assistant from 2011-13.