Vic Rowen

Vic Rowen
Biographical details
Born(1919-07-24)July 24, 1919Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
DiedJanuary 14, 2013(2013-01-14) (aged 93)Chico, California, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1940sLong Island
PositionTight end
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1946–1948Thomas Jefferson HS (NY)
1951–1953Defiance
1954–1960San Francisco State (assistant)
1961–1989San Francisco State
Basketball
1951–1954Defiance
1957–1958San Francisco State
Baseball
1952–1954Defiance
Head coaching record
Overall131–174–10 (college football)54–34 (college basketball)15–21 (college baseball)
Bowls0–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football1 Mid-Ohio (1953)5 Far Western (1961–1963, 1965, 1967)

Victor Rowen (July 24, 1919 – January 14, 2013) was an American football, basketball, and baseball coach. He served as the head football coach at Defiance College from 1951 to 1953 and at San Francisco State University from 1961 to 1989, compiling a career college football record of 132–173–10. His tenure of 28 years as head coach San Francisco State spanned over half of the length of time college football was played at the school. Rowen was also the head basketball coach at Defiance from 1951 to 1954 at and San Francisco State for a season in 1957–58, tallying a career college basketball mark of 54–34.

Early years

Born Brooklyn, New York, Rowen played college football at Long Island University, and later went on to earn a doctorate in physical education from Columbia University. Rowen got his start as a college coach at Ohio's Defiance College in 1951. He joined San Francisco State as an assistant coach in 1954 under Joe Verducci, until becoming head coach in 1961.[1]

San Francisco State

In Rowen's first years with the program, San Francisco State was a west-coast small college football powerhouse, winning eight Far Western Conference titles before 1967. This early success lead his team to attract a great deal of football talent to the university and San Francisco State was well known for its football during this time. All of that changed during the student strike of 1968, which crippled football at SFSU.

San Francisco State did not have a winning season between 1973 and when the program was cancelled in 1995. While noted for producing outstanding players and coaches who would go on to win with other programs, San Francisco State football under Rowen's later years was not as successful as other Division II college football teams.

Rowen was also the president of the American Football Coaches Association in 1986.

Family

Rowen's son, Keith Rowen, coached in the National Football League (NFL) with various teams for over 25 years. Rowan's daughter Elise Rowan became a nurse and is now pursuing being an attorney.

Death

Rowen died January 14, 2013, aged 93.[2]

Head coaching record

College football

Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Defiance Yellow Jackets(Mid-Ohio League)(1951–1953)
1951Defiance 0–60–56th
1952Defiance 4–42–34th
1953Defiance8–04–01st
Defiance:12–106–8
San Francisco State Gators(Far Western Conference / Northern California Athletic Conference)(1961–1989)
1961San Francisco State8–24–1T–1st
1962San Francisco State6–2–13–1–11st
1963San Francisco State6–2–13–1–1T–1st
1964San Francisco State6–3–13–1–13rd
1965San Francisco State8–25–01st
1966San Francisco State7–35–12nd
1967San Francisco State9–26–01stLCamellia
1968San Francisco State5–53–3T–3rd
1969San Francisco State3–71–45th
1970San Francisco State0–9–10–45th
1971San Francisco State5–62–46th
1972San Francisco State3–81–4T–5th
1973San Francisco State7–2–13–2T–3rd
1974San Francisco State5–62–3T–2nd
1975San Francisco State4–4–12–3T–3rd
1976San Francisco State4–72–3T–3rd
1977San Francisco State5–52–34th
1978San Francisco State1–90–56th
1979San Francisco State3–71–4T–5th
1980San Francisco State3–6–11–4T–5th
1981San Francisco State3–70–56th
1982San Francisco State4–62–34th
1983San Francisco State2–81–56th
1984San Francisco State2–7–12–3–1T–4th
1985San Francisco State3–6–12–34th
1986San Francisco State2–91–45th
1987San Francisco State1–8–10–4–16th
1988San Francisco State1–91–4T–5th
1989San Francisco State3–70–56th
San Francisco State:119–164–1058–87–5
Total:131–174–10
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References

  1. ^Sullivan, Pat (June 10, 2001). "Where Are They Now? / Vic Rowen / A dedicated Gator / Longtime coach also served as a father figure". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  2. ^"Football coach Vic Rowen dies at 93". sfgate.com. January 18, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
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