Terry Bowden, who owns a 140-62-2 record (69.3 winning percentage) over an 18-year coaching career, was named The University of Akron's 27th head football coach on Dec. 22, 2011.

Bowden, who served as a studio analyst and color commentator with ABC Sports' college football for 10 years, was the head coach at Auburn from 1993-98 and spent the previous three seasons at Division II North Alabama.

Bowden, 54, was an assistant coach at Akron in 1986 under then Zips' head coach Gerry Faust.

"We welcome Terry Bowden back to campus. He brings with him an outstanding record of success and a true football coaching pedigree," University President Dr. Luis M. Proenza said. "We know the entire Akron community will support Coach Bowden in his mission to cultivate a championship program here."

"We're thrilled to have Terry join the Akron Athletics family," director of athletics Tom Wistrcill said. "It's great for our student-athletes, fans and community to bring in a head coach with his track record of success."

"I'm so excited to be a Zip," Bowden said. "With the great resources and the commitment to winning by the administration and community, it's just a matter of time until we build a championship program."

In his time at North Alabama, Bowden led the Lions to a 29-9 record and three-consecutive playoff appearances. In 2011, the squad went 9-3 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. He was named Gulf South Conference Co-Coach of the Year in 2009 when the team went 11-2 and won the GSC championship and advanced to the quarterfinals of the playoffs. He followed that in 2010 by guiding the Lions to a 9-4 record and another trip to the playoffs.

As head coach of Auburn, he went 47-17-1 (73.4 winning percentage) and posted the best opening, five-year run of any head football coach in school history. Also during his time with the Tigers, Bowden became the first collegiate coach in 50 years to win his 100th career game by his 40th birthday.

In his first season at AU, he became the first coach in Division I-A (now FBS) history to have an undefeated and untied season in his inaugural year at that level.

Prior to his stint at Auburn, Bowden built two programs from the ground up as head coach at Salem College (W.Va.) and Samford University (Ala.). When he took the job at Salem in 1983 he became the nation's youngest head coach in college football at age 26.

Inheriting a Samford program which had won just six games in three years prior to his arrival, Bowden led the Bulldogs to a 9-1 record his first year, tying the record for the best season in school history. The squad led the nation in total offense (523 yards per game) and scoring offense (51.7 points per game), both national Division III records. The team's 40 touchdown passes were also a national single-season record.

Bowden then engineered and directed Samford's move from non-scholarship Division III football to Division I-AA (now FCS) scholarship football. With only one freshman class on scholarship, the Bulldogs went to a full Division I-AA schedule in 1989. By 1991, Samford was competing for the national championship. His 1991 Samford team had the best record in school history at 12-2, and reached the Division I-AA national semifinals.

Bowden was named head coach at Auburn on Dec. 17, 1992. In 1993, Auburn had a perfect 11-0 record and he swept virtually every national coach of the year award in his rookie season, including Walter Camp, Scripps Howard, Football News, Toyota and the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award presented by the Football Writers Association.

Bowden was again a finalist for coach of the year following his second season at Auburn as the Tigers had reeled off 20-straight wins, an Auburn record, and finished 9-1-1. He posted a 47-17-1 record at Auburn and led the Tigers to three bowl games.

During his time away from coaching, Bowden first served as a studio analyst and color commentator with ABC Sports' college football coverage. He was also an analyst for Westwood One Radio's College Football National Game of Week, co-hosted "The Coaches Show" on Sirius Satellite Radio with Jack Arute, and was the exclusive college football columnist for Yahoo! Sports.

Bowden is a member of one of the most famous and successful college football coaching families. His father, Bobby Bowden, turned Florida State into a national champion and his 389 collegiate wins rank second in Division I history.

His brother Tommy had an 18-4 record in two seasons as head coach at Tulane and a 72-45 record in 10 seasons as head coach at Clemson, taking the Tigers to eight bowl games. His brother Jeff also has 25 years of collegiate coaching experience, working at Salem, Samford, Southern Mississippi, Florida State and most recently at North Alabama, with Terry.

During the decade of the 1990s, Terry, Tommy and Bobby all led their teams to undefeated seasons.

As a student-athlete at West Virginia, Bowden lettered two years as a running back (1977-78), held a 3.65 grade-point average in accounting, the highest GPA on the football team, and graduated Magna Cum Laude.

He did post graduate work at Oxford University in England, and earned a Juris Doctorate from the Florida State School of Law in 1982, while a graduate assistant coach with the Seminoles.

Bowden has five daughters (Tera, Jordan, Erin, Cori and Jamie) and one son (Terry, Jr.).

Bowden's Career Head Coaching History:
Career Record: 140-62-2 (.693)
1983-85 – Salem (19-13 record)
1987-92 – Samford (45-23-1 record)
1993-98 – Auburn (47-17-1 record)
2009-11 – North Alabama (29-9 record)
2012 – Akron

Chuck Amato, who boasts 39 years of experience in the collegiate coaching ranks including serving as head coach at North Carolina State and long-time assistant coach at Florida State, joined the Akron staff in January 2012. He serves as the program's associate head coach and defensive coordinator.

Amato is one of the most respected coaches and recruiters in college football and has produced winning football teams and numerous top draft picks throughout his career.

Amato, 65, served as head coach at his alma mater NC State from 2000-06 and posted a 49-37 record while guiding the program to five bowl appearances. He led the Wolfpack to their first 11-win season in school history in 2002 and highest national ranking (No. 12) since 1974. The 2004 NC State squad led the nation in total defense. Additionally under Amato, quarterback Philip Rivers rewrote the program and ACC record books in every passing and total offense category. During his tenure, he had 22 players drafted into the NFL, including five in the first round.

Amato spent 21 seasons on the staff at Florida State (1982-1999 and 2007-09). In his most recent stint (2007-09) he served as executive head coach to then-head coach Bobby Bowden. From 1982-95 he coached the defensive line, 1996-99 the linebackers and from 1986-99 also served as assistant head coach. He was part of 10 ACC championship teams and two national championship squads (1993 and 1999). Six of his Seminole players were selected in the NFL Draft's first round and 24 defensive players overall that he directly coached were drafted during his FSU tenure.

Amato was also a member of the NC State staff from 1971-79, serving as graduate assistant (1971-72), defensive secondary coach (1973-75) and defensive coordinator/linebackers coach (1976-79). He also coached linebackers at Arizona from 1980-81. His coaching career began at Easton High School in his hometown of Easton, Pa., where he was an assistant coach from 1969-70.

Amato lettered in football and wrestling at NC State, where he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1969 and master's degree in education in 1973. The 1965 football team won an ACC co-championship and he was captain of the defense in 1967. He won two ACC titles as a wrestler in 1966 and 1968.

He and his wife, Peggy, have twin daughters, LuGina and Selena.

Amato's Career Coaching History:
1969-70 – Easton (Pa.) High School (assistant coach)
1971-72 – NC State (graduate assistant)
1973-75 – NC State (defensive secondary coach)
1976-79 – NC State (defensive coordinator / linebackers coach)
1980-81 – Arizona (linebackers coach)
1982-95 – Florida State (defensive line)
1996-99 – Florida State (linebackers coach)
1986-99 – Florida State (assistant head coach)
2000-06 – NC State (head coach) (49-37 record)
2007-09 – Florida State (executive head coach)
2012 – Akron (associate head coach / defensive coordinator)

Alan Arrington is in his first season on the Akron staff and will serve as offensive line coach.

He comes to UA after six seasons at North Alabama, serving as the program's offensive coordinator for the last four seasons and working under Terry Bowden each of the last three years. Arrington also worked with the Lions' offensive line and helped the squad to a 62-14 mark during that six-year span as well as an appearance in the Division II playoffs each season.

He joined the UNA staff following 12 seasons as an assistant coach at Northwest Mississippi Community College. He is a native of Oxford, Miss., and is married to the former Gail Perkins.

Northeast Ohio native Trent Boykin is in his first season at Akron, where he will oversee the running backs.

Boykin spent the 2011 season as running backs coach at Wayne State, helping the Warriors to a 12-win season and the program's first-ever appearance in the Division-II national championship game. Under his tutelage, Wayne State had two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season for the first time in school history.

Boykin spent the 2010 campaign as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Lambuth University and was the head coach for two seasons (2008 and 2009) at Lane College. He began his coaching career as an offensive graduate assistant at Akron (1996-1997) and served one year at Boston College (1998) as an offensive graduate assistant before coaching the wide receivers at Tiffin for one season (1999). 

He has an undergraduate degree from Youngstown State and earned four varsity letters in football and played on three Division I-AA National Championship teams for the Penguins. He also played one year in the Arena Football League after originally signing with the Canadian Football League's Hamilton TigerCats.

The younger brother of UA head coach Terry Bowden, Jeff boasts over 25 years of collegiate coaching experience and will serve as the Zips' special teams coordinator and also work with the outside receivers.

He spent the previous three seasons as associate head coach at North Alabama with his brother. Prior to his time at UNA, he spent 13 years (1994-2006) on the staff at Florida State, working under his father, legendary coach Bobby Bowden. Jeff was the Seminoles' offensive coordinator from 2001-06 and from 1994-2000 worked with the wide receivers.

In his 13 seasons at FSU, the program competed in a bowl game each year, tallied nine conference titles and one national championship.

Bowden played wide receiver at FSU from 1980-83. He and his wife, Cindy, have five children.

Terrell Buckley, a 14-year veteran of the NFL and Florida State standout, joined the UA staff in January 2012 and will work with the Zips' cornerbacks.

A two-year starter and three-year letterwinner as a cornerback at Florida State (1989-91), Buckley was inducted into the school's sports hall of fame in 2003. He left FSU as the program's all-time leader in interceptions (21) and interception return yards (501). That INT return yardage was an NCAA record, and he tied school records for touchdowns off interceptions (4) and punt returns (3). He earned consensus All-America honors as a junior in 1991 as well as the Jim Thorpe Award that same season, given annually to the nation's top defensive back.

Buckley, 40, was picked fifth in the 1992 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers and spent 14 seasons in the league (1992-2005). He played for Green Bay (1992-94), Miami (1995-99, 2003), Denver (2000), New England (2001-02), the New York Jets (2004) and New York Giants (2005). During his career he amassed 109 tackles, 50 interceptions, two sacks and two forced fumbles.

Most recently, Buckley has served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at FSU, where he completed his undergraduate degree in 2007.

A.J. Milwee, a record-setting signal caller at North Alabama, will mentor the Zips' quarterbacks. Milwee comes to Akron after one year on staff at East Mississippi Community College, helping the program to an NJCAA national championship.

He spent the 2009 and 2010 seasons on Terry Bowden's staff at UNA as a graduate assistant that worked with the quarterbacks. In that time on the Lions staff the program went a combined 20-6, made back-to-back playoff appearances and were 2009 Gulf South Conference champions.

Having compiled a 33-5 mark as UNA's QB during the 2006-08 seasons, Milwee set all-time school records for career passing yards (8,436), pass completions (677), passing attempts (1,030), touchdown passes (73) and total offense yards (9,401). He earned honorable mention All-America honors as a senior and is a member of the program's all-decade team (1999-2008).

Milwee spent his freshman year of eligibility as a member of the Alabama football team. He holds an undergraduate degree in finance from North Alabama.

John Pont joined Terry Bowden's staff in January 2012 and will serve as recruiting coordinator and inside receivers coach.

Pont spent last season on staff at fellow Mid-American Conference institution Miami (Ohio), serving as defensive intern. He began his coaching career at Florida State, where he was Bobby Bowden and Jimbo Fisher's offensive graduate student assistant from 2008-09, and completed a master's degree in sport administration during that time.

Pont, who has an undergraduate degree from Miami (Ohio), was wide receivers and tight ends coach at North Alabama for Terry Bowden in 2009, before a brief stop at North Texas and move to Colorado State in 2010 to be an offensive quality control coach. He returned to North Alabama for a short time in 2011, just prior to his post at Miami.

Pont's grandfather, John, is a member of Miami's famed Cradle of Coaches and also served as head coach at Yale, Northwestern and Indiana. Pont is married to the former Tera Bowden, Terry's daughter.

Todd Stroud, who boasts over 25 years of experience as a collegiate coach, will work with the Zips' defensive line and also serve in a strength and conditioning capacity.

Stroud spent the previous two seasons at Colorado State where he coached the defensive line in 2011, and served as tight ends/fullbacks coach and recruiting coordinator in 2010. He arrived at CSU after three seasons (2007-09) as head coach for strength and conditioning at his alma mater Florida State, and was assistant head coach/defensive line coach at North Carolina State from 2004-07, working under then Wolfpack head coach and current Akron associate head coach/defensive coordinator, Chuck Amato.

He served as strength and conditioning coach at Memphis (1997-99), Auburn (1993) and Samford (1987-93), and was head coach at West Alabama (1994-96) and coached the defensive line at Samford (1987-93) and at UCF (1986).

Stroud has an undergraduate degree from Florida State and a graduate degree from Alabama-Birmingham. He played nose guard for the Seminoles from 1983-85 and was captain of the 1985 squad. Stroud and his wife, Marianne, have three daughters and one son.

Veteran coach and Northeast Ohio native Mike Woodford is in his first season on Terry Bowden's staff at UA, but in his second stint as a member of the Zips football staff. This time around, he will oversee the safeties.

Woodford joins the Akron staff after spending the 2011 season at New Mexico following a three-year stint at Illinois (2007-09). He coached the Lobos secondary, and was the Illini's special teams coordinator and worked closely with the defensive backs.

After one year (2001) with the NFL's New Orleans Saints as a defensive assistant, he served as defensive backs and special teams coach at Florida (2002-03) and oversaw the defensive backs at Middle Tennessee from 1999-2000.

Woodford, a native of Niles, Ohio, was the defensive ends coach at Akron from 1986-90 with coach Gerry Faust (Terry Bowden was on the UA staff in '86) and was defensive coordinator at nearby Walsh University from 1994-98.

He has an undergraduate degree from Arizona and played safety for the Wildcats from 1978-81. Woodford has two daughters.

Ben Murphy is in his first season serving as Akron football's director of operations. In this role with the Zips, he conducts the day-to-day operations of the football office, such as scheduling events and practices and making travel arrangements.

Murphy served as Terry Bowden's director of football operations each of the last three seasons at North Alabama, after serving as a graduate assistant coach at Florida State from 2007-09.

While at FSU, he was heavily involved in the program's recruiting effort and helped achieve top-10 recruiting classes in 2008 and 2009. He also worked as an intern in the Florida State sports information department from 2005-07.

Murphy has an undergraduate degree in sports management and a graduate degree in sports administration, both from Florida State.