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Under Owens' leadership, the Chapman football program is alive and well. The Panthers have put together back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1994-96. That included a 2007 season in which Owens guided the Panthers to their first winning season in eight years, a 6-3 mark that was the team's best overall mark since 1996. Chapman has done it with a high-powered offense and steady defense, ranking in the top-20 in Division III in passing (303.1 yards per game).
In three season, Chapman has had four players named to All-West Region teams. Owens has also stressed strong academics, already coaching seven ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District VIII selections in three years.
Prior to coming to Chapman, Owens served as offensive coordinator at Humboldt State (most recently). He was also the head coach at Division III-rival Whittier College, where he led the Poets to two SCIAC championships (1997-98).
Owens has 28 years of college coaching experience, including stops at Fresno State, Utah State and Oregon. He served as the wide receivers coach for Nevada on its Big West championship team in 1995 and helped lead the Sacramento Surge to a World League title as its running backs coach in 1992.
His niche as a coach is the passing game. A proponent of the "West Coast Offense", he ranked in the top-15 in NCAA Division II in passing offense at Humboldt State and helped the Lumberjacks to a second place finish in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in 2004 - the school's best finish in five years.
A graduate of the University of La Verne, where he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1970, Owens went on to earn his master's in curriculum and instruction from the University of Oregon in 1974. He served as a professor of African-American sociology at Whittier (1996-2002) and at Chico State (1993-95), as well as a professor of African-American history at Oregon (1972-74). He and his wife, Debby, currently reside in Whittier.
| Bob Owens' Head Coaching Highlights Whittier & Chapman (1996-01, '06-08) |
| * 16-13 career record in SCIAC |
| * SCIAC Championships: 1997, 1998 |
| * SCIAC Coach of the Year: 1997 |
| * Ranked No. 18 in Division III: 1998 |
| * Top-25 in nation in passing offense: 1997-98, '07 |
| *Back-to-back winning seasons: 2007-08 (first time at CU since 1994-96) |
Bishop has turned around the defense over the past two seasons,
turning it into one of the major strengths of the Chapman program.
In 2007, the Panthers allowed just 19.2 points per game - the
lowest opponent average in 12 seasons - and ranked No. 42 in
Division III in total defense. Bishop has been at Chapman since the
program's inception in 1994 and has served as defensive coordinator
since 1997. Prior to coming to Chapman he coached for 10 years at
the college level at Cal State Long Beach and Whittier College. He
received both a BA and MA in Physical Education from Long Beach
State.
White joins the Chapman staff reunited with Coach Owens, whom he
played for at Humboldt State from 2002-03 as an offensive lineman.
Most recently, White coached running backs at San Diego Mesa
College for two seasons where he was an All-Foothill Conference
selection as a player in 2001. He began his coaching career at
Whittier College where he was a grad assistant and coached the
offensive line from 2004-05. He and his fiancee Erin are scheduled
to be married in June.
Coach Wood joined the Chapman staff after serving as defensive
coordinator at Pomona-Pitzer last season. Prior to that he was a
defensive assistant and special teams coordinator at Ithaca College
(N.Y.), helping the Bombers to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2001 and
2003. Wood played four seasons at Ohio State and went to four bowl
games as a Buckeye, including the Rose Bowl in 1985 as the Big Ten
champions. Wood is also in his second season as head coach of
Chapman's men's lacrosse (club) team.
Owens joined the coaching staff in 2006 alongside his brother
and Panthers' head coach Bob Owens. Michael brings 12 years
coaching experience, nine years as quarterbacks coach at Whittier
and Azusa Pacific. Owens played quarterback at the University of
Oregon. He also played at Whittier College, where he graduated in
1986 with a bachelor's in communications. Owens went on to earn his
MPA from National University.
Shafer is the veteran of the football coaching staff at Chapman
and will work with kickers, punters and special teams. Shafer has
been a committee member for the American Football Coaches
Association (AFCA) for 12 years and in 2004, the AFCA named Shafer
one of three finalists for Assistant Coach of the Year. Shafer
played his college ball at Maryville College (Tenn.) under the
legendary Boydson Baird and served in Vietnam as a member of the
U.S. Marine Corps from 1967-68.
Howard returns for his sixth season at Chapman to coach the
offensive line. Howard brings a heritage of experience as both a
coach and player. Prior to joining the Panthers in 2003, Howard was
head coach for 21 of his 25 years coaching at the prep level. He
played offensive line for Cornell College from 1972-76 where he
graduated with a degree in health history and physical education.
Thiessen returns to the Panthers' coaching staff handling
defensive backs. In 2004, Thiessen coached fullbacks and
cornerbacks at Modesto Junior College. Thiessen played four years
of college ball as a free safety, including two years at Modesto
and two at NCAA Division I Youngstown State. While at Youngstown,
Thiessen earned a degree in education and was honored as an
outstanding student-athlete. After graduating, Thiessen went back
to school at Chapman and earned his master's and credential in
special education.
Ashton joins the Chapman Athletics department as its strength
and fitness coach and will also help the Panther football team as
defensive line coach. He has five years of coaching experience,
serving as defensive line coach at Fullerton College and helping
the Hornets to a 10-2 record in 2004. He most recently coached
linebackers at Humboldt State from 2007-08. He also played for the
Lumberjacks as a defensive lineman from 2002-03 after transferring
from Fullerton College where he played for two seasons. He has
coached seven 1st team All-Conference players in three seasons of
coaching at the JC level. A native of Fullerton, Ashton graduated
from Sunny Hills High and he and his wife Pippin currently reside
in Fullerton.
A Chapman grad who played each of the past three seasons under
Coach Owens, Webber joins the staff this season as a volunteer
coach in charge of wide receivers. Webber's best season at Chapman
came in his senior year when he made 12 catches for 169 yards,
including two touchdowns, helping the Panthers to back-to-back
winning seasons (2007-08) for the first time in 12 years.
