2002

WEEK OF 'July /5f0t>2.

"en :. role will involve him with ba:.ically d II phases of bas– ~b&ll e~<-c-@p recr~liting. " I'll be running camps, film, alumni meetings, etc.," Bowen , aid I'll be down here when Barne:, come:. down to the Mt:>ndtan Rebel Club and prob– abl} the Newton County Rebel Oub• Bo\\ en left East Central in Au_ust of 2001 for an assistant b at Au:-tin Peay. The Gover– nors were 1-1-18 for the 2001-02 season and were 8-8 in the Ohio \ alle\ Conference. A; fate would have, Austin Peav is on Ole Miss' 2002-03 schedule. "\Ve liked it a lot there and had a good recrUltmg year," Bowen said. "We had a difficult schedule last year in a rebuilding year, but played pretty well. "We play them on Dec. 4, so that's going to be a tough situa– tion for me." This is his second stop at Ole Miss as Bo\ven was a graduate assistant to Ed Murphy for a year before taking the ECCC head job for the first time in 1989. He also served as an assistant at Arm– strong State College in Savannah, Ga., and at Christian Brothers College in Memphis. "We're excited to h ave Jay join our basketball staff," Barnes said. "To be able to bring a person of Jay's caliber and experience adds a lot to our program. Jay has a great knowledge of all the areas in college bask~tball and that will be valuable in his position as Coordinator of Basketball Opera– tions. Jay is a great fit for us." His first stint at East Central saw the Warrior teams go 30-17, including a 21-6 mark in the 1990- 91 season. He left the Decatur school for a five-year stint as an assistant coach at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Ga. From there, Bowen was the head boys' basketball coach at Jackson Academy. The Raiders went 33-2 and won the Academv AAAA state championship in th·e 1996-97 season. Bowen returned to ECCC fo· three years before joining Austi-1 Pea} last fal!

Forme ECCC coach now a Rebel

By Marty Stamper EMG sports assist~nt

Former two-time East Central Community College men's ba.:;– ketball coach Jay Bowen has been named Coordinator of Basketball Opera tions for the Ole Mis~ men's basketball program. Bowen takes over for Grant Pate, who was promoted to assis– tant coach on June 13. Bowen had to decide whether to leave Austin Peay State Uni– versity after just one year or stay at the Clarksville, Tenn., school and turn down the chance to return to Mississippi. "It was a tough decision," Bowen said. "(Ole Miss men's head basketball coach) Rod (Barnes) called and had this post– tion and it was a difficult deci- sion for me and my family. It was one that we had to make, but it wasn't necessaril} one that we wanted to make "We're happy to be at Ole M.i'=- 0/e.M/Ss. and are lookm-.:

APPEARED U forward . to it because it's a good fam1h and LAKE MESSE Rod is a good person and one of __ SCOTT COU~ the best coaches in the count~y and you're in the best 1 eague m UNION APPE the country. I'm lo') ;nh forward WINSTON CO ~o_i!<' • ~ -"' · " .. ""L._ _ _ _ _ SPIRIT OF MORTON______ _

::RAT -------- )--'-~----- CLARION-LEDGER.______