EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley announced the addition of two new hires to its football program.
Adrian McDonald and Jeff Bowen will serve respectively as the first defensive backs coach and first offensive line coach.
McDonald spent the last two seasons as the defensive backs coach, special teams coach and recruiting coordinator at Midwestern State. His coaching career began in 2018 as the defensive backs coach while also serving as a special education teacher at Sam Rayburn High School in Pasadena, Texas.
The announcement for McDonald’s hire came Friday via head football coach Travis Bush who coached the former safety for the first three seasons of his collegiate career at Houston from 2012-15.
“Adrian is a fast-rising star in the college coaching profession. His experience as a college player and time in the NFL have helped him move up the ladder quick,” Bush said. “A high school quarterback turned safety in college, Adrian has extensive knowledge on both sides of the football and great expertise on special teams.”
Bush also spoke highly of the program’s new offensive line coach.
“Two words describe Jeff Bowen: ‘Texas tough,'” Bush said. “Jeff may be the toughest person I’ve ever met. I watched Jeff walk on our team at Texas State as an undersized center. Not only did he earn the starting job and a scholarship, but Jeff was an FCS All-American while anchoring one of the top offenses in the country.”
Bowen spent the last four seasons as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Northeastern State.
Bush and Bowen previously worked together during UTSA’s inaugural season in 2011, when Bush was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Bowen was a graduate assistant working with the offensive line and tight ends at the time.
The university recently announced Brian Gamble, as defensive coordinator and John Simmons, the Vaqueros’ first director of football operations and administration.
