Donovan Dowling has been named the new head coach of both the men?s and women?s soccer programs at Northeast Texas Community College. Dowling comes to the program after spending the past two years at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas.
In his two years at Fort Hays State University, an NCAA Division II member, Dowling was the top assistant for the men?s program which he helped build from the ground up, with the program?s inception beginning in the fall of 2011. In their first year ever as a program (2011), FHSU finished 11-5-2, while receiving votes for the NCAA Top 25 poll. This past fall (2012), he helped lead the program to an 11-6-2 record, along with the programs first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament, before eventually falling in the third round (sweet 16).†FHSU was ranked in the Top 25 for the majority of the season, with a high of 9th in the nation.
Throughout his time at FHSU, Coach Dowling saw a total of 10 players garner NSCAA All-Region honors, and 1 All-American.
Prior to his time at Fort Hays State University, Dowling coached from 2009-2011 at a successful soccer club called the Fort Wayne Fever in Fort Wayne, Indiana. With the Fever, Dowling was the Director of Goalkeeping for the entire club (U8-U18 Boys and Girls), and also the assistant for the 93? and 95? Fever boys teams. Both of his Fever teams were Indiana State Cup Finalists, and Midwest Regional League Champions. A total of 15 players Dowling coached with the Fever have moved on to play collegiate soccer at the NCAA Division I level.
Dowling has also been involved in the Olympic Developmental Program (ODP), coaching both the oldest Kansas Boys teams for the past two years, and also working with the Region II goalkeepers this past summer.
Dowling is no stranger to the junior college level. He started his playing career at Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kansas. At Barton, Dowling was a two year starter in goal for the Cougars. He was a team captain, with a career record of 39-4-2, leading his team to an NJCAA #2 ranking his sophomore season. Dowling was twice named 1st team All-Conference & 1st team All-Region. Dowling?s sophomore year, he was also named to the NJCAA All-American team. He is the current holder of both Barton and the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) records in wins, shutouts, and goals-against average.
After Barton, Dowling then transferred on to IPFW where he was a two year starter at the NCAA Division I level. He garnered All-Conference honors his junior season at IPFW. Dowling also holds the NCAA Division I era school record for shutouts in a season at IPFW.
During his time in college, he also played three years in the Premier Development League (PDL) for the Kansas City Brass, where he competed with many former and current MLS players. A native of Olathe, Kan., Dowling earned a bachelor?s degree in Communications from Indiana University and his master?s degree in Health and Human Performance from Fort Hays State University.
