OWENS RETIRES AFTER REMARKABLE RUN

AU’s football program has experienced very little change in leadership during the last six-plus decades, but a shift is underway after Lee Owens, who guided the Eagles to greater success than ever before, announced his retirement in December. Owens is one of only three head football coaches Ashland has had since 1959.

“Hunting, fishing and golfing has always gotten in the way of football, but lately, it seems like football has gotten in the way of hunting, fishing and golfing,” cracked Owens during his final press conference. “I have waited 40 years to use that line.

“This week has been tough. Meeting with the players and staff… making a ton of calls. In 45 years, I have been blessed, our family’s been blessed.”

Since his hire in 2003, Owens orchestrated a remarkable era of Eagles football – a 137-61 overall record (.692 winning percentage), six NCAA Div. II playoff appearances (three wins) and four conference championships, three in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. He leaves on a high note, having guided Ashland to a 10-2 mark, the program’s first Great Midwest Athletic Conference championship and to the second round of the NCAA Div. II Championship in 2022.

Said Al King, director of athletics at AU, “Lee Owens came to Ashland and provided us with a blueprint for a successful football program. By successful, I mean in every aspect – academic performance, athletic excellence, facilities, fundraising, a long-range vision and so much more.

“When he arrived, the program got an instant shot of credibility, our competitors realized what kind of commitment we were making. Throughout his career his teams went toe to toe with some of the best teams in the country. He lifted the football program, the campus and the community to a new level.”

Highlights of Owens’ tenure include a 9-2 record in his second year thanks to a season-ending six-game winning streak, consecutive NCAA playoff appearances in 2007-08, the debut of the Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field in 2009, undefeated regular seasons and home playoff games in 2012 and 2015, a national ranking of No. 3 in 2015 and a postseason victory over the two-time defending national champions in Northwest Missouri State in 2017.

Owens was a three-time American Football Coaches Association Div. II Region 3 Coach of the Year and a five-time conference Coach of the Year. His players earned 25 All-American honors and 10 Academic All-American® citations, and three were recognized on the AFCA Good Works Team. Three went on to play in the NFL – tight end Adam Shaheen (2017-present) and defensive linemen Jamie Meder (2014-19) and Jeris Pendleton (2012-15).

“Lee Owens took one of the best Div. II programs in the nation to a higher level, and his legacy at AU will be long remembered for its commitment to excellence,” said Carlos Campo, president at AU. “His winning attitude and extraordinary coaching skills have left an indelible mark on our campus, and we are grateful to Lee for shaping the lives of young men for good over these many years here.”