Bowling Green first fielded a football team in 1919.
The Falcons compete in the Mid-American Conference and will open the 2021 season at Tennessee on Sept. 2.
Ahead of the season-opening contest, Vols Wire takes a look at Bowling Green’s history that has produced one College Football Hall of Fame head coach in their history. One other former head coach, Urban Meyer, will likely be inducted into the hall soon.
Don Nehlen played quarterback and served as head coach for the Falcons. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
After his playing career with Bowling Green, Nehlen began his coaching career as an assistant at Cincinnati. He coached on the Bearcats’ staff in 1963.
In 1967, he returned to Bowling Green as an assistant before becoming the school’s head coach the following year.
In nine seasons at the helm for the Falcons, Nehlen compiled a record of 53-35-4.
He went on to serve as quarterbacks coach at Michigan under the legendary Bo Schembechler between 1977-79.
After his tenure in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Nehlen took the helm at West Virginia, where he was the Mountaineers’ head coach from 1980-2000.
He recorded 202 career wins and led West Virginia to the Big East championship in 1993.
Meyer coached at Bowling Green for two seasons (2001-02), compiling a 17-6 record at the school. He would go on to have successful coaching stints at Utah, Florida and Ohio State.
Meyer is now the head coach in the NFL for Jacksonville.
Former Bowling Green head coach and Tennessee offensive coordinator Dave Clawson is now the head coach at Wake Forest.
Another former Falcons’ head coach Dino Babers is currently serving in the same capacity at Syracuse. Larry Jinks, who coached the Falcons from 2016-18 is now the running backs coach at USC.
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