'This is the place I want to be': Prairie View names McDowell as new head coach

This week, Prairie View A&'s football program named former Houston Oilers All-Pro Bubba McDowell as its newest head coach. 

Before being hired as head coach, McDowell served as the Panthers' assistant coach for 11 years. McDowell said that the promotion was a long time coming and he has been looking forward to something like this for a long time. 

On his promotion, McDowell said, "The foundation here is to build good character young men. Just to have these young men continue to do well in the classroom, and to get them to understand if they get it done in the classroom, it'll happen on the field."

McDowell has big plans for the program, which he says he plans to build through strong recruiting efforts and internal changes/adjustments. He said that Prairie View remains a hidden gem and is attractive to new recruits as well as homegrown talent. 

"We got some dudes here in town that can play football. Like I tell everyone and my coaching staff, the UH's, Texas' and A&M's they can't get them all. What a lot of kids don't know about Prairie View, when we get them on campus, they are like, 'Ahh,'" he said.

Of course, McDowell had his pick of various options for a head coaching position. However, he said that his loyalties remain to this program.

"It's not a stepping stone for me because I could have easily gone somewhere else, but this is the place I want to be. I want this school to get back to the top of where this school can be," he said.

During his days as an Oiler, McDowell was a fan favorite. However, before that, he won a national championship as a player for the University of Miami. McDowell has had success everywhere he has been, including during his time as an assistant coach for the Panthers. Last year, the team won the SWAC West division championship. 

McDowell has not yet assembled a coaching staff for his time as head coach.