RIO GRANDE VALLEY – FootballScoop announced on Tuesday that The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Jeff Bowen is a finalist for the FCS Coordinator of the Year Award, presented by Teamworks.
 
Bowen is among nine finalists for FCS Coordinator of the Year nationwide and two in the Southland Conference.

UTRGV is one of only three FCS programs to have finalists for FCS Coordinator of the Year, the Walter Payton Award, the Jerry Rice Award, and the Eddie Robinson Award, along with Tarleton State, the No. 4 seed in the FCS Playoffs, and Mercer, the No. 6 seed in the FCS Playoffs.
 
Bowen oversaw an offensive line that allowed just 1.50 sacks per game, the 30^th best mark in the FCS and second best in the Southland, and featured an all-conference second team offensive lineman in freshman Nick Hughes.
 
The offensive line consistently gave quarterback Eddie Lee Marburger, a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, considerable time to make passes, allowing him and the UTRGV offense to be among the best in the nation. The extra time also helped the UTRGV offense to go the entire season without committing a fumble.
 
The UTRGV offense led the Southland in five categories, ranking sixth in the FCS in points per game (39.6), eighth in passing efficiency (165.62), 15^th in passing yards per completion (13.72), 18^th in total yards per game (435.2), and 24^th in third down conversion percentage (45.0%). UTRGV also ranked 22^nd in the FCS and second in the Southland in rushing yards per game (188.3), 24^th in the FCS and second in the Southland in passing yards per game (246.9), 30^th in the FCS and fourth in the Southland in red zone offensive conversions (86.5%), and 32^nd in the FCS and third in the Southland in completion percentage (64.1%).
 
FootballScoop Coach of the Year Awards
 
The FootballScoop Coach of the Year awards program is the only of its kind to honor coaching across every position on the field, senior support staff roles, and coordinators at the divisional level. Now in its 18^th year, the FootballScoop Coach of the Year award winners also stand alone in that winners are chosen by prior winners.
 
Nominated by fellow coaches, the 2025 finalists are a group of 89 men chosen among a cast of thousands across the 729 football-playing institutions in the NCAA and NAIA. Winners will be announced beginning Dec. 8 and will be honored in conjunction with the American Football Coaches Association convention beginning Jan. 12 in Charlotte.
 
Historic Inaugural Season
 
Bowen helped guide the Vaqueros to a historic inaugural season, finishing with a 9-3 overall record, making them the winningest of 11 inaugural FCS programs since Division I college football split into two levels in 1978. No other team had ever won more than seven games or six while playing a schedule including NCAA Division I competition.
 
UTRGV is the first inaugural team to win six games against NCAA DI-AA (1978-2005)/FCS (2006-Present) competition, breaking the record of five set by Florida International in 2002.
 
UTRGV is the only inaugural team to go undefeated at home, as the Vaqueros finished 7-0.
 
UTRGV is one of two programs to receive votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll at any point during its inaugural season, along with Kennesaw State, which received two points in the 2015 Week 7 poll. UTRGV is the only program to earn more than two points or receive votes in multiple weeks, receiving votes nine times.
 
UTRGV is the first inaugural program to score at least 17 points in all its Division I games and the only one to score at least 17 points in all games while playing a schedule that includes NCAA Division I competition. UTRGV is also the only team to score 60+ points three times and 50+ points four times.
 
UTRGV finished its inaugural season 5-3 in Southland Conference, tying for third place with Lamar, which made the FCS Playoffs. UTRGV's only losses were to playoff teams on the road, including No. 7 seed Stephen F. Austin and No. 16 seed Southeastern.
 
FootballScoop FCS Coordinator of the Year Finalists
Brandon Andersen/Trent Earley, Prairie View A&M defensive coordinator
Adam Austin, Tarleton State offensive coordinator 
Chris Barnette, Alabama State offensive coordinator 
Jeff Bowen, UTRGV offensive coordinator
Jeff Gallo, Monmouth offensive coordinator
Mike Mutz, Stephen F. Austin defensive coordinator 
Grant Olson, North Dakota State defensive coordinator
Dan Owen, Presbyterian defensive coordinator 
Anthony Soto, Mercer offensive coordinator 

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