Serra's football coach resigns to take college job

By Mike White | Wednesday, May 19, 2010, 8:45 p.m.

Rich Bowen said he thought for years about possibly coaching on the college level. Next season, he'll find out what it's like.

Bowen, who has coached 19 years on the high school level, resigned as Serra's coach to become an assistant coach at Waynesburg University. Bowen also will resign as Serra's dean of students. The Waynesburg coaching job is a full-time position and Bowen will start his new job July 1.

Bowen, 46, lives in North Huntingdon, which is about an hour's drive from Waynesburg.

Bowen and Waynesburg coach Rick Shepas have been friends for a long time. They played football together at Youngstown State in the 1980s. Shepas was a receiver and Bowen a tight end.

"I'll be working on the offensive side of the ball [at Waynesburg]," Bowen said. "I'll go wherever coach Shepas needs me. I'm real flexible. When you're a high school football coach, especially at the places I've been, you learn how to coach all positions. I think I've coached all positions at one time or another."

Bowen was very successful in turning around losing high school programs. He won a WPIAL Class A championship at Serra in 2007. He had two different stints at Serra.and was the Eagles' coach for five years in his latest stint. He also coached at Elizabeth Forward and Yough.