University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Football
- Title:
- Linebackers/Run Game Coordinator
Joe Bowen is entering his first season at Pitt as linebackers coach and run game coordinator after serving as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Buffalo from 2024–25.
In 2025, Bowen helped linebacker Red Murdock receive a first-team All-MAC selection for the second straight season. He led the MAC and ranked second in the nation in tackles with 142. It was the eighth-best single-season tackle total in program history. He added 13.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and six forced fumbles.
In 2024, the Bulls went 9–4 and defeated Liberty in the Bahamas Bowl. Buffalo’s aggressive defensive style paid dividends, as the Bulls led the MAC with 13 interceptions, ranked third in sacks (33), and finished fourth in both forced fumbles (10) and fumble recoveries (9). Buffalo recorded a school-record 92 tackles for loss.
As linebackers coach, Bowen mentored two of the most accomplished linebackers in program history in Murdock and Shaun Dolac, who became Buffalo’s first Consensus All-American. He was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year after leading the nation with a school-record 168 tackles. He ranked fourth nationally in interceptions (five) and sixth in tackles for loss (18.5).
Bowen was named FootballScoop’s 2024 Linebackers Coach of the Year.
He arrived at Buffalo from Miami (Ohio), where he served as linebackers coach and run game coordinator. During his two seasons with the RedHawks, Bowen helped build one of the MAC’s top defensive units. In 2022, Miami led the conference in scoring defense and run defense. In 2023, the RedHawks ranked among the MAC’s top three in scoring defense, rushing defense and defensive efficiency, while finishing in the national Top 10 in scoring defense, third-down defense and red zone defense.
Miami won the 2023 MAC Championship, led by linebacker Matt Salopek, who was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. Linebacker Ty Wise was one of only two FBS players to record 120-plus tackles and eight-plus sacks that season.
Prior to Miami, Bowen served as a defensive graduate assistant at South Carolina in 2021. That season, the Gamecocks led the SEC in turnovers (24) and produced the program’s best total and scoring defense since 2013, ranking first in the SEC and seventh nationally in pass defense.
Bowen spent three seasons at Florida State as a defensive analyst and graduate assistant, coaching inside linebackers in 2018 and 2020 and outside linebackers in 2019.
In 2017, Bowen worked as a defensive graduate assistant and assistant linebackers coach at Michigan State, where the Spartans ranked second nationally in rushing defense, seventh in total defense and 18th in third-down defense, allowing just 95.3 rushing yards per game.
Bowen began his career at Miami (Ohio) as a defensive graduate assistant from 2015–16.
A native of Grand Rapids, Mich., Bowen earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Miami University (OH) in 2015 and a master’s degree in kinesiology and health in 2017. As a student, he served as an offensive intern from 2013–15 and as a student assistant from 2011–13.
Bowen and his wife, Colette, have a daughter, Grace.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Hometown: Grand Rapids, Mich.
Alma Mater: Miami University (OH), 2015
Family: Bowen and his wife, Colette, have a daughter, Grace.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
College
Pitt, 2026, linebackers/run game coordinator
Buffalo, 2024-2025, linebackers/defensive coordinator
Miami (OH), 2022-23, linebackers/run game coordinator; 2015-16, defensive graduate assistant
South Carolina, 2021, defensive graduate assistant
Florida State, 2018-20, defensive analyst/defensive graduate assistant
Michigan State, 2017, assistant linebackers/defensive graduate assistant
