PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas - Prairie View A&M University has announced the appointment of Leonard "Bubba" McDowell as PVAMU's new head football coach.  The appointment follows McDowell's brief stint in the interim head coach role after former head coach Eric Dooley's departure in December.

McDowell will inherit a promising and experienced team that finished the 2020 season with a 7-5 record overall and a 6-2 conference record, leading to a western division title within the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). 

Long regarded as a vital component of the team's success, he has been credited with helping to build the current program alongside Dooley.  He served as the assistant head coach for the past eight seasons while also leading the development of the defensive unit over the past three seasons. He also spearheaded recruitment efforts and advanced the team's range of skills after joining the staff in 2011.

McDowell began his coaching career through a series of appointments at Houston-area collegiate programs after engaging in extensive development through the National Football League's (N.F.L) minority coaching program. McDowell had a successful career as a starting safety in the NFL with the Houston Oilers and the Carolina Panthers.  He retired in 1996.

About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
 
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.

Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.
 
Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at www.swac.org.