| Dan O'Dowd |
SAN ANTONIO ? UTSA head men’s basketball coach Brooks Thompson announced Tuesday that Dan O’Dowd has been promoted to associate head coach.
A native of Lakewood, Colo., O’Dowd is entering his third season with the program. Last year, UTSA tied for third place in the Southland Conference West Division and tied for sixth in the overall league standings with a 7-9 record, making a return to the SLC Tournament for the first time since 2006. The Roadrunners made a name for themselves with on-the-ball pressure defense, resulting in 19.5 opponent turnovers per game, including 20 or more forced miscues on 15 occasions. UTSA registered 8.7 steals per game, which was third in the conference and 25th in the nation, while the Roadrunners’ turnover margin of +3.50 stood second in the league.
In O’Dowd’s first year on campus, UTSA set school records for fewest field goals allowed in a season (649), fewest field goals allowed in a game (13 by San Diego on Nov. 26, 2006) and lowest field goal percentage by an opponent (24.5% by San Diego). UTSA also finished second in the Southland Conference in scoring defense (66.3 points allowed per game).
O’Dowd followed Thompson to UTSA from Arizona State, where he served as an assistant coach for eight seasons under Rob Evans, now an assistant coach at Arkansas. He helped Arizona State reach the 2003 NCAA Tournament, the program’s first NCAA appearance since 1995. The Sun Devils finished with a 20-12 record that season, defeating Memphis in the NCAA First Round before falling to eventual national finalist Kansas. Arizona State also advanced to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) in 2002 and 2005. While at ASU, O’Dowd also coached NBA players Ike Diogu, the 2004-05 Pac-10 Player of the Year, Eddie House, the 1999-2000 Pac-10 Player of the Year and a member of the 2008 World Champion Boston Celtics, Mike Batiste, Awvee Storey and Tommy Smith.
Prior to his work at Arizona State, O’Dowd was an assistant coach under Evans at Mississippi from 1993-98. He was a key member of a staff that turned around the Rebels program, producing back-to-back NCAA appearances for the first time in school history. O’Dowd helped Mississippi capture two Southeastern Conference (SEC) West titles in 1997 and 1998. He coached Ansu Sesay, the 1997-98 SEC Player of the Year, at Mississippi.
O’Dowd spent two years (1991-93) as an assistant coach and assistant athletics director at Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kan. He helped guide the Cougars to records of 21-10 in 1991-92 and 23-9 in 1992-93 as Barton County qualified for the regional tournament both years.
He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Lon Kruger at Kansas State from 1989-91. The Wildcats finished 17-15 and participated in the 1990 NCAA Tournament during his tenure. O’Dowd was an assistant coach at Topeka (Kan.) High School from 1986-89. His three-year stint included a 20-3 record in 1986-87, an 18-4 mark in 1987-88 and a 20-3, Class 6A runner-up season in 1988-89.
O’Dowd received a bachelor of arts degree in English education and physical education-health in 1986 from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kan.
A standout athlete, O’Dowd lettered four years in both cross country and track and field at Bethany where he was a three-time all-conference and academic all-conference honoree. In cross country, he was a two-time qualifier for the national championships. He also qualified twice for the outdoor track nationals and three times for indoor nationals.
O’Dowd graduated from Lakewood High School in 1981 where he was a four-sport letterman in basketball, swimming, tennis and track. He set the school’s assists record and broke track records in the 800-meter and mile runs.