The Huntsville Times is taking a daily
look at the class of 2010 inductees
into the Huntsville-Madison County
Athletic Hall of Fame. We'll publish
a biography each day until the induction
banquet at the VBC on April 12.
Read all the bios we've published so far
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Tim Stowers, 52, a national-championship-winning coach, came to Madison County in 1968, moving from Union Springs when his father was named superintendent of Huntsville City Schools. Tim soon made an impact in the system himself.
Playing both linebacker and center, Stowers was an all-state player at Grissom High in 1976. He credits former Grissom football coach and athletic director Larrie Robinson, himself a member of the Huntsvile-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame, as the most influential person in his athletic career after his father died when Tim was 12.
"Coach Robinson and the Grissom football coaching staff became my father," said Stowers. "They were the main reason I went into coaching, so I could be a positive influence on student-athletes just as they had been a positive influence on me."
He earned a scholarship offer from Auburn, where he was a two-year lettermen for the Tigers and one off Auburn's last two-way players (1977-80).
Stowers began his 27-year coaching career under Pat Dye at Auburn, handling the JV team in 1982-83. He coached the offensive line at Jacksonville State, then moved to Georgia Southern as offensive coordinator in 1988-89. The Eagles went 13-2 in '88 and 15-0 in a Division I-AA national championship run in '89.
When legendary Erk Russell retired, Stowers was named head coach, compiling a 51-23 record six years. Stowers was named National Coach of the Year in 1990 when Georgia Southern won the national championship again.
After a year out of coaching, Stowers was offensive line coach at Temple (1998-99) and was named head coach at the University of Rhode Island in 2000. His 2001 team finished 8-3, winning more football games than any team in the 108-year history of the school.
Stowers is retired from coaching and living in Warwick, R.I., where he works as a financial services representative. He and his wife Gayle have two children, Tim Jr., and Lee.
The Hall of Fame induction banquet is Monday, April 12 at the North Hall of the Von Braun Center.
(Bios compiled by John Pruett and courtesy of Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame.)