Ned Fowler (born January 16, 1944)
Teams coached: Tulane Green Wave, Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
Tulane record: 70-45 (.609)
Stephen F. Austin record: 78-87 (.473)
Overall record^: 148-132 (.529)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 2 (1982, 1983)
Awards:
- Southland Coach of the Year: 1 (1991)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
1990-1996 | Stephen F. Austin |
1987-1990 | Auburn (asst) |
1981-1985 | Tulane |
1974-1981 | Tyler JC (TX) |
Ned Fowler Facts
- Ned Fowler
- Born January 16, 1944
- Hometown: Murchison, Texas
- Alma Mater: East Texas State University (BA, 1966)
- After graduating from East Texas State (now East Texas A&M), Fowler’s first coaching job was as the head boys’ basketball coach at Richard King HS in Corpus Christi, TX (1969-74)
- Fowler became the head coach at Tyler Junior College (TX) in 1974, leading the team for seven seasons
- The team went 31-4 and finished with a #3 national ranking in the NJCAA in his final year (1980-81)
- Moved up to the Division I ranks in 1981, taking over as head coach at Tulane
- Went 70-45 over four seasons, with NIT appearances in both 1982 and 1983 and a winning record every year
- His tenure is best remembered for scandal, however, with several players – including their star, John “Hot Rod” Williams – getting arrested as part of a point shaving scandal
- More violations and illegal activities with later uncovered, and while Fowler has largely been cleared of knowledge of most activities, he did admit to providing a small payment to Williams (against NCAA rules)
- Finney and his two assistant coaches all resigned in 1985 and the school decided to shutter the men’s basketball program completely (it was re-instated in 1989)
- After two years out of coaching, Fowler was hired by Sonny Smith to be one of his assistants at Auburn; the associate AD at the time was Hindman Wall, who had previously been the AD at Tulane
- Became a head coach again in 1990, taking over a Stephen F. Austin program that had gone 2-25 the year prior
- Went 11-17 in his first year, the +9 win turnaround earning him the 1991 Southland COY award
- Helped build the program at SFA, going 17-11 in 1995-96 – the program’s most wins since moving up to D-I
- Despite this, Fowler was let go following that season and the program would finish below .500 the next six years
Ned Fowler Coaching Tree
- Derek Allister (Stephen F. Austin)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I level only