Fast, humbling path prepped Bowman for Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE — 5 years in the past, Dominique Bowman interviewed for a training place at Southern Miss.

He thought he was ready for it. Bowman knew scheme, the ins and outs essential and learn how to educate the sport.

Trying again, he readily admits to not being mentally able to tackle the job. In the end, Southern Miss went in a distinct route. The state of affairs taught him a useful lesson.

Be affected person, sit again and wait to your time.

After two stints at Tennessee-Martin and ones at Austin Peay and, most lately, Marshall, he discovered his very best touchdown spot working underneath a coach who remembered him from his time at Cordova Excessive College in Tennessee — Razorbacks defensive coordinator Barry Odom.

They met when Odom was defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Memphis.

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“I (would) go as much as the college and work camps, speak ball with these guys, so when the chance (to work at Arkansas) introduced itself I had a few issues occurring,” Bowman mentioned. “However Barry Odom did attain out to me. As soon as I noticed Barry Odom, he despatched me a message to name him.”

Bowman was interviewing for one more job on the time. Round 7 a.m. someday he went to a rest room and browse the message.

“I used to be like, ‘I hope I do not get this one,’” Bowman recalled. “’I need to be with Barry.’

“He hit me up and mentioned, ‘What are you doing?’ I mentioned I used to be on the airport. He was like, ‘All proper, do not take a job till you speak to me.’ It labored out, and I really like Barry. He trusts me and he believes in me.”

All indications are that the Razorbacks’ cornerbacks belief him, too. Malik Chavis and Hudson Clark talked about a number of instances Monday that the element with which Bowman teaches the place stands out.

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“There are lots of issues you possibly can take from him – completely different stances and stuff,” Chavis mentioned. “(For instance, you are) principally like simply an inch/step nearer to being in the fitting place to make that play. That’s what I’d say about Coach Bowman. He’s a really detailed man.”

Clark mentioned that Bowman, who was born in Forrest Metropolis, may also let his gamers know after they have made a mistake on the sector. However they’ll tackle the following rep with a extra agency understanding of their keys and obligations.

All of it goes again to educating, which Bowman takes nice satisfaction in. When teaching at the highschool stage, he additionally taught bodily schooling. His spouse, Quay, is a math trainer.

“Excessive power (on the sector). Within the classroom, detailed, demanding,” Bowman mentioned. “I’m not saying it’s simple to play for me. I count on so much. A regular is an ordinary. I’m a participant’s coach. I attempt to be Dominique Bowman, I don’t attempt to be anyone else. I attempt to discover a technique to attain each particular person.

“While you’re educating a man, clearly everyone learns in a different way. Being a highschool coach, being a highschool trainer, I feel I’m an amazing trainer, or I’ve heard. On the grass, it’s nothing higher on the earth to go on the grass every single day and coach and reside the dream.

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“You get one alternative to do that deal, so I am going on the market on the grass and I coach laborious every single day.”

The defensive backs coach at Arkansas-Monticello in 2016, Bowman considers his path from Tennessee highschool soccer to the SEC West in eight years a humbling journey and a grind that he wouldn’t change.

He has executed lots of studying alongside the best way.

“When the time is true, alternative presents,” Bowman mentioned. “Like with me and Odom, I met Odom again in Memphis. It comes full circle. It is bizarre, however I loved the entire technique of it.

“This can be a no-brainer. That is the perfect job within the nation for me.”