Bio

Jack McDowell was hired as Assistant Director of Athletics and Fitness in July 2025.

For the three years prior to this, McDowell served as an academic advisor with the College of Southern Maryland, working with both traditional students and student-athletes.

McDowell has over a decade of experience working within higher education with over six years of that experience coaching football at the NCAA Division III level at both Catholic University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. While at Catholic, McDowell served as the Offensive Line Coach while also working on many other administrative components of the football program, such as recruiting, strength and conditioning, team travel, meals, and equipment.

Beginning his collegiate coaching career at RPI in 2013, McDowell served as the Assistant Offensive Line Coach/ Tight End Coach for three seasons while in Troy.   During this time, he helped coach two All-Liberty League offensive linemen. In 2015, McDowell’s final season at RPI, the Engineers went 9-2 winning a share of the Liberty League Conference Championship and the ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl.

McDowell earned his Bachelor of Science degree in History and Social Studies with a minor in Political Science from Ferrum College in 2012. McDowell was a four-year member of the Division III Panthers, where he earned USA South All-Conference First Team honors twice. He was named to the Roanoke Times All-State First Team in 2011 and the VaSID All-State First Team in both 2010 and 2011. McDowell also earned D3football.com All-region second team honors in 2011. Academically, McDowell was a three-time member of the USA South All-Academic Team and joined both Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, and Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society.

McDowell went on to complete his Master’s Degree in Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Positive Coaching from the University of Missouri.

McDowell, a Maryland native, grew up in Shady Side, located in southern Anne Arundel County, and graduated from Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville. He currently lives with his partner Kelsey and their two daughters.