In a make-it-make-sense moment, Prairie View A&M athletic director Anton Goff announced Sunday that football coach Bubba McDowell’s contract will not be renewed after a highly successful three-year run.
In his first two seasons as head coach, McDowell guided the Panthers program to back-to-back SWAC West titles (tied with Southern in 2022 and won outright in 2023) and made one appearance in the SWAC Championship Game. This was the former Houston Oilers defensive back’s only non-winning season, with Prairie View dropping its final two games to finish fourth in the division with a 5-7 overall and 3-5 SWAC record.
“For us, it was just about looking at where the program was, to where we are trying to go,” Goff said to the Defender. “He was at the end of his contract so we had a decision to make. Were we going to renew it or were we going to go in a different direction?
“At the end of the day, we decided to go in a different direction.”
Coach McDowell’s commitment to helping our student-athletes succeed in life both personally and professionally is admirable and a true reflection of his character.
Anton Goff, Athletic Director PraIrie View A&M univ.
McDowell, who had been with Prairie View since 2011 (first as a defensive coach and defensive coordinator before taking over after Eric Dooley left for Southern in 2022), finished with an overall record of 17-18 and 14-10 in the SWAC.
There is some speculation that some school administrators may have been upset about the $25,000 fine the SWAC leveled against Prairie View was hit with following the postgame fight against Florida A&M on Nov. 9. Both schools were fined the same amount, and Florida A&M had two student-athletes serve a one-game suspension while Prairie View had one player suspended.
“Love the guy; he has done a great job here, but we need at this point needed to go and get a different voice and create a different culture,” Goff said.
Goff thanked McDowell for his leadership on and off the field with his student-athletes, saying, “Coach McDowell’s commitment to helping our student-athletes succeed in life both personally and professionally is admirable and a true reflection of his character.”
McDowell could not be reached for comments on this story.
According to the school’s press release, Prairie View will begin a national search for its next coach. Assistant coach Ashton Green will serve as the interim coach until a new coach is named.
Goff declined to name favorites for the job, but early speculation has former Alcorn State coach Fred McNair and former Prairie View quarterback K.J. Black as possible candidates. McNair resigned from Alcorn State last year as the presumed Texas Southern hire, but the TSU Board of Regents got involved, and suddenly, he was dropped from consideration.
Black, who led the Panthers to their first SWAC Championship since 1964 in 2009, has been an NFL assistant coach since 2023. He is currently an offensive assistant coach with the Atlanta Falcons, and last season, he was with the Los Angeles Rams, where he was credited with helping quarterback Matthew Stafford to a Pro Bowl season.
“We are looking for someone who obviously is a good football mind, a great leader, great communicator, someone who can come in and makes sure our players are disciplined,” Goff said to the Defender. “The SWAC West isn’t our goal. It’s the SWAC title, it’s getting to the FCS playoffs if for some reason we aren’t in the SWAC title game.”
