New Oxford hires Bowman as new football coach
New Oxford officially has its third football coach in three years.
Greg Bowman was approved as the Colonials new coach at Monday's Conewago Valley School District Board of Directors meeting. He will also head the school district's tech ed department starting next fall, replacing Brian Campbell, who is retiring after 35 years with the district.
“For me, I’m very happy we got a quality educator," Supt. Russell Greenholt said. "It’s gonna be a huge asset for us in the building, and I think we have a football coach who is ready to come in and turn this thing around.”
Bowman led Northern York to a 7-3 regular season record and a playoff win against York Suburban last fall in his first season with the Polar Bears. Before that, he was an assistant coach at Lower Dauphin and Central York, serving on the staffs of two successful coaches in Rob Klock and Brad Livingston. His resume also includes playing NCAA Division I football at Columbia University.
“I don’t know that I could’ve learned from too many better than Brad Livingston and Rob Klock," Bowman said. "It proved to work pretty well at Northern when I brought what I learned from those two guys at those two programs.”
Bowman's twin brother, Chris, is an assistant principal at New Oxford Middle School.
“He had mentioned that there may be an opportunity to teach here," Greg Bowman said of Chris. "I was thinking about applying for the teaching position anyway, but there are some personal things going on in my life right now, and those things prompted me to explore this opportunity more seriously.”
Bowman said he and his family plan to move into the school district, making it the first time he will be living, teaching and coaching in the same district. He's been commuting from West York to Hummelstown to teach at Lower Dauphin for the last five years, he said.
“I can truly be a part of the community in which I’m teaching and coaching, which is something I’ve never really been," he said. "No matter where I’ve taught and coached, it’s always been a little bit of me here, a little bit of me there, another part of me at home.”
Bowman will meet the Colonials players for the first time on Thursday, and he plans to reach out to all of the current assistant coaches this week, he said. Those assistants include Jason Warner, who served as the interim coach last fall after Jason Thurston's sudden departure last summer.
“I’m going to meet with all the guys who have been on staff here and see if they have an interest in coaching with me and see if our philosophies seem to mesh," Bowman said. "I may reach out to some guys who are employed here that haven’t coached. Ultimately if hiring from elsewhere is in the cards, there’s a number of guys I’ve met through coaching elsewhere that I think are available and might be interested.”
Turnover at William Penn: The resignation of athletic director Joe Chiodi could potentially delay a hiring of a head football coach. William Penn and Shawn Heinold parted ways after an 0-10 2015 campaign.
William Penn spokeswoman Erin James expects the school board could have a potential athletic director hire on the agenda for the school board's Jan. 20 meeting, she said.
The coaching search could resume after a hire is made.
"I'm not sure that would necessarily have to happen that way," James said on if an athletic director would have to be hired before the coaching search could resume. "But that's something you would definitely want the input of an athletic director for."
Central York staying patient: After longtime head coach Brad Livingston was let go in December, the question was who could step in and fill his shoes?
he Central York community will have to wait another month or two before they have an answer, according to athletic director Marty Trimmer.
"Our position is posted until Jan. 22," Trimmer said. "At that time we will select applicants to interview. My guess is we will have at least two rounds of interviews starting in February."
Once a coach is chosen, they are recommended to the superintendent and then the school board
"I don't know if we will have that done by February or for the March meeting," Trimmer added.
Brandon Stoneburg contributed to this report