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Bowling leaving UCHS football post for Olive Branch (Miss.) job
Coach led Tornadoes to unprecedented success 4 state titles (Feb. 5, 2020)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UNION CITY SCHOOLS
CONTACT: Mike Hutchens
Communications Director
BREAKING SPORTS NEWS
Darren Bowling has never shied away from tough decisions.
He insists he had help with one of his most difficult ones this morning.
“God has a plan for me and I knew it’d be a tough call when I truly gave into looking at this decision ,” he said after informing Union City School officials that he was resigning his head football coaching duties to take a similar job at Olive Branch (Miss.) High School. “I’ve really felt Him tugging at my heart the last couple of years though.
“Some day I feel like I’ll be able to look back and truly understand. Right now, I believe it’s just the best decision for me and my family and our needs.”
Bowling led the Golden Tornadoes to four state championships, 116 wins and a .753 winning percentage in 12 seasons during his UCHS tenure. Seven times, the Purple and Gold made it to at least the quarterfinals that included 1A state titles in 2009, 2013 and 2014, and a 2A championship in 2017. His teams won 11 or more games in half a dozen campaigns.
He’ll take over a 6A program in Mississippi that has experienced both feast (state title in 2011) and famine (0-11 in 2016) in recent years. Ironically, Bowling will replace one of his former players, Tyler Turner, who played for him at Obion County Central and was the head coach at OB the past three seasons before recently accepting the Goodpasture job.
Bowling’s decision to leave an area he’s called home for 17 years — 12 seasons at UC, one at Dyersburg, four at Obion Central — admittedly did not come without considerable reflection.
“I knew it’d take a special place and situation for me to ever consider leaving Union City, because this place has been so good to me and so special to me and my family,” he said. “You have three types of people in this profession – the haters, the fans and the supporters. The haters are going to always disagree with anything you do. The fans are going to be with you as long as you win. But the supporters are the ones who stick with you through the very best times and the times of struggle.
“I’ve had supporters at Union City High School. They’ve allowed me to be me and they’ve been here for me, our kids and our program — win, lose or draw. I’ll always remember that and this place will always have a huge piece of my heart.”
UC Director of Schools Wes Kennedy, who came with Bowling from Dyersburg and has continued to serve as his line coach despite administrative roles as UCHS principal and now his current position, lauded Bowling for his work and spoke openly about their friendship.
“Darren Bowling is not just a good football coach. He’s good people,” Kennedy said. “He’s cared about our kids and he’s focused as much on their character as he has on football-playing abilities and wins and losses. The direction he’s provided our football program has been priceless.
“Obviously, I appreciate his friendship and the times we’ve shared as coaches and the administrator/teacher relationship we’ve had. We’ve both been blessed during a special time at UCHS and I know he’ll always have some Purple and Gold in his veins.”
Bowling, who informed UCHS Principal Jacob Cross of his decision this morning prior to telling the team, deflected any personal credit for the success during his time on the Union City sideline.
“The kids and their character were the reasons we had the success we did,” he said. “They’re the ones who lifted the weights, went through the rigorous offseasons and endured the preseason camps. None of what we accomplished would’ve been remotely possible without the mental toughness and physical toughness they had. Every team I had here was special to me – not just the ones that won championships.
“And people like Wes Kennedy and Jacob Cross make the position of head football coach at Union City one of the best jobs anyone could have. They’re so supportive. Trust me, that’s not always the case at every school. I have been blessed to establish so many lifetime relationships, and Coach Kennedy will always be at the top of that list.”
Kennedy said the search for a new head coach at UCHS will begin immediately.
Posted on February 5, 2020
Bowling leaving UCHS football post for Olive Branch (Miss.) job
Coach led Tornadoes to unprecedented success 4 state titles (Feb. 5, 2020)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEUNION CITY SCHOOLS
CONTACT: Mike Hutchens
Communications Director
BREAKING SPORTS NEWS
Darren Bowling has never shied away from tough decisions.
He insists he had help with one of his most difficult ones this morning.
“God has a plan for me and I knew it’d be a tough call when I truly gave into looking at this decision ,” he said after informing Union City School officials that he was resigning his head football coaching duties to take a similar job at Olive Branch (Miss.) High School. “I’ve really felt Him tugging at my heart the last couple of years though.
“Some day I feel like I’ll be able to look back and truly understand. Right now, I believe it’s just the best decision for me and my family and our needs.”
Bowling led the Golden Tornadoes to four state championships, 116 wins and a .753 winning percentage in 12 seasons during his UCHS tenure. Seven times, the Purple and Gold made it to at least the quarterfinals that included 1A state titles in 2009, 2013 and 2014, and a 2A championship in 2017. His teams won 11 or more games in half a dozen campaigns.
He’ll take over a 6A program in Mississippi that has experienced both feast (state title in 2011) and famine (0-11 in 2016) in recent years. Ironically, Bowling will replace one of his former players, Tyler Turner, who played for him at Obion County Central and was the head coach at OB the past three seasons before recently accepting the Goodpasture job.
Bowling’s decision to leave an area he’s called home for 17 years — 12 seasons at UC, one at Dyersburg, four at Obion Central — admittedly did not come without considerable reflection.
“I knew it’d take a special place and situation for me to ever consider leaving Union City, because this place has been so good to me and so special to me and my family,” he said. “You have three types of people in this profession – the haters, the fans and the supporters. The haters are going to always disagree with anything you do. The fans are going to be with you as long as you win. But the supporters are the ones who stick with you through the very best times and the times of struggle.
“I’ve had supporters at Union City High School. They’ve allowed me to be me and they’ve been here for me, our kids and our program — win, lose or draw. I’ll always remember that and this place will always have a huge piece of my heart.”
UC Director of Schools Wes Kennedy, who came with Bowling from Dyersburg and has continued to serve as his line coach despite administrative roles as UCHS principal and now his current position, lauded Bowling for his work and spoke openly about their friendship.
“Darren Bowling is not just a good football coach. He’s good people,” Kennedy said. “He’s cared about our kids and he’s focused as much on their character as he has on football-playing abilities and wins and losses. The direction he’s provided our football program has been priceless.
“Obviously, I appreciate his friendship and the times we’ve shared as coaches and the administrator/teacher relationship we’ve had. We’ve both been blessed during a special time at UCHS and I know he’ll always have some Purple and Gold in his veins.”
Bowling, who informed UCHS Principal Jacob Cross of his decision this morning prior to telling the team, deflected any personal credit for the success during his time on the Union City sideline.
“The kids and their character were the reasons we had the success we did,” he said. “They’re the ones who lifted the weights, went through the rigorous offseasons and endured the preseason camps. None of what we accomplished would’ve been remotely possible without the mental toughness and physical toughness they had. Every team I had here was special to me – not just the ones that won championships.
“And people like Wes Kennedy and Jacob Cross make the position of head football coach at Union City one of the best jobs anyone could have. They’re so supportive. Trust me, that’s not always the case at every school. I have been blessed to establish so many lifetime relationships, and Coach Kennedy will always be at the top of that list.”
Kennedy said the search for a new head coach at UCHS will begin immediately.
Posted on February 5, 2020