Vic Rowen

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**Vic Rowen**
School as a player
Place of birth	Brooklyn, New York
Sport	Football
College	San Francisco State University
Title	Former Head Coach
1940s	California State University, Long Beach
Position	Linesman
Coaching positions
1961-90	San Francisco State

Vic Rowen was the head coach of the Division II San Francisco State University Golden Gaters of the CCAA and Far West Football Conference from 1961 to 1990. He coached the Gaters for 29 years and is known for having trained a number of players and assistants who went on to successful professional careers.

1 Early years
2 As San Francisco State Coach
3 Decent and Fall of SFSU football
4 Coaching Legacy
5 Trivia

[edit] Early years

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Rowen was got his start as a coach at Ohio’s Defiance College in 1951. Rowen played his college ball at Cal State University, Long Beach, and latter went on to earn a doctorate in physical education from Columbia University. He joined San Francisco State as an assistant coach in 1954 under Joe Verducci, until becoming head coach in 1961.

[edit] As San Francisco State Coach

In Rowen’s early years, San Francisco State was a west-coast Division II football powerhouse, winning eight Far West Conference titles before 1967. This early success lead his team to attract a great deal of football talent to the university and San Francisco State was well known for its football during this time. All of that changed during the student strike of 1968, which desiccated football at SFSU.

[edit] Decent and Fall of SFSU football

San Francisco State did not have a winning season between 1973 and when the program was cancelled in 1995. While noted for producing outstanding players and coaches who would go on to win with other programs, San Francisco State football under Rowen’s later years was not as successful as other Division II college football teams.

When the National Organization of Women sued California over Title XI, San Francisco State, like other California Division II college football programs, was forced to end the football program.

[edit] Coaching Legacy

Rowen has had two of his assistant coaches go on to latter lead their teams as head coach in Super Bowls; Andy Reid with the Philadelphia Eagles and Mike Holmgren with both the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks.

Gil Haskell, now Offensive Coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, also was an assistant coach to Rowen. Current New Mexico State head coach Hal Mumme was also an offensive coordinator under Rowen. Bob Toledo, now head coach at Tulane University, played Quarterback at San Francisco State under Rowen; Floyd Peters, former defensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders, was a defensive linesman under Rowen.

Vic Rowen was also the president of the American Football Coaches Association in 1986.

[edit] Trivia

Mike Holmgren, coach of the Seattle Seahawks, was a teacher of American history at Oakgrove High School in San Jose in 1981 when Rowen offered him his first collegiate coaching position.
Vic Rowen coached for over half of the length of time college football was played at San Francisco State