Ryan Bowen Added to Basketball Staff

May 5, 2010

IOWA CITY, IA – – University of Iowa Head Basketball Coach Fran McCaffery announced today that he has added former Hawkeye and NBA player Ryan Bowen to his basketball staff. Bowen will serve as the team’s video coordinator and administrative assistant.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be joining the Iowa basketball staff,” said Bowen. “I’m extremely thankful to Coach McCaffery for giving me this opportunity and I’m eager to get started. I had a great time as a student-athlete at Iowa, and look forward to once again being a part of the Hawkeye family.”

“I’m very excited to have Ryan Bowen be part of our staff,” McCaffery said. “I remember watching Ryan play in high school, and followed his career at Iowa and the NBA. There isn’t a harder working basketball player that understands the game than Ryan Bowen. I talked to Jeff Van Gundy, Jeff Bower and John MacLeod and each one raved about his character, work ethic and knowledge of the game. He’s going to make a great impact here at Iowa, just like he did when he was a player.”

Bowen played in 120 games as a Hawkeye (1994-98), scoring 1,090 points (9.1 avg.), which ranks 32nd at Iowa and collected 804 rebounds (6.7 avg.). He is Iowa’s career field goal percentage leader, shooting at a 57.5% clip (397-690). Bowen, who was a two-time all-Big Ten performer, is Iowa’s single-season record holder in steals per game, averaging 2.8 per contest in 1998. The Fort Madison, Iowa, native also holds the school record for career steals (208) and ranks fourth in career blocks (124) and eighth in career rebounding (804).

Bowen, who was the 1997 Chris Street Award winner, led the Hawkeyes in rebounding (9.1), steals (1.9) and field goal percentage (.553) his junior campaign. As a senior, he averaged 14.4 points and led the team in rebounding (8.7), steals (2.5), blocks (1.3) and field goal percentage (.603).

Bowen recently concluded an 11-year run playing professionally overseas and in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 6-9, 225-pound forward was a second round draft pick of the Denver Nuggets in the 1998 NBA Draft. He began his career in Turkey (1998-99) before playing five seasons with the Nuggets (1999-2004). Bowen was then picked up by the Houston Rockets, playing two seasons (2004-06). After recovering from hip surgery, he played a partial season in Israel (2007). He then signed with the New Orleans Hornets, playing two seasons (2007-09). Bowen competed in one game for the Oklahoma City Thunder this past November before retiring.

Bowen and his wife, Wendy, have a daughter (Isabel) and two sons (Benjamin and Zachary). Wendy was a UI Dance Team member for three years.