Tom Bowen (athletic director)


Thomas Michael Bowen is an American sports executive. He previously served as the athletic director at the University of Memphis, a position he has held from 2012 to 2019. Bowen held the same position at San Jose State University from 2004 to 2012. He previously worked in the front office for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League.

Early life and education

Bowen was born in Denver, Colorado and spent his childhood and Stone Mountain, Georgia and San Francisco, California. He played one year of college football at the University of San Diego, before transferring to the University of Notre Dame and studying for the Catholic priesthood.

Career

Bowen began his career as a high school football coach in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 1987, he moved to Concord, California to become athletic director at De La Salle High School, a Catholic secondary school. After eight years at De La Salle, Bowen became director of foundations and corporate relations at nearby Saint Mary's College of California in May 1995. At the beginning of 1997, Bowen moved to the Saint Mary's athletic department to become an associate athletic director overseeing budget, sponsorship, and student-athlete affairs. Bowen held that position until April 2000. Briefly in 2000, Bowen was also interim athletic director at Saint Mary's.
In 2012, he became the athletic director for the University of Memphis, where he oversaw the transition of the Memphis Tigers sports program from Conference USA to the new American Athletic Conference. His Memphis contract was extended through June 2019 in 2015, after he had been rumored to be a sought-after candidate for other NCAA Division I athletic director positions. At the time of his extension, Bowen was praised for leading the $40 million capital upgrade campaign of Memphis' athletic facilities and for the improved academic performance of Memphis Tigers athletes during his tenure.
On May 14, 2019, Bowen resigned from Memphis to pursue another career opening.