Bemidji State's Bowen named new UMD men's basketball coach

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Bemidji State men's basketball coach Matt Bowen has been named the new men's basketball coach at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Bowen, 40, succeeds Gary Holquist, who stepped down earlier this year after 14 seasons guiding the Bulldogs. Bowen signed a four-year contract with an annual base salary of $78,000.

"This is a great opportunity for me at this point in my career,"

Bowen said in a news release. "I am taking over an established program, one that is rich in tradition and success and my hope is to take it to even greater heights. I'm looking forward to that challenge."

Bowen just completed his sixth season as Bemidji State head coach, leading the Beavers to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season title and an NCAA Division II tournament berth. The team set a school record with 22 wins, and Bowen was named NSIC Coach of the Year. He is 64-102 overall at Bemidji after inheriting a program that struggled.

Bowen also has served as an assistant coach at Valparaiso and Alabama-Birmingham. He is a native of River Falls, Wis., and a 1995 graduate of Indiana University, where he served as a student manager under legendary head coach Bob Knight.

He was one of two finalists for the Bulldogs job; Iowa State director of basketball operations Jeff Rutter was the other.

Bowen becomes the 16th head coach in the UMD program's 82-year history. Holquist stepped down to take over as UMD's athletic dvelopment director.

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