McDowell was named the head football coach of Prairie View A&M on January 4 of 2022. The former NFL defensive standout is in his 11th season as a part of the Prairie View A&M coaching staff to include four seasons as an assistant head coach. He also coached the Panther corner backs for three seasons.
During the 2019 season, Jaylen Harris asserted himself as one of the most disruptive cornerbacks in the nation, leading the SWAC in total passes defended and ranking among the top 10 nationally in the category on his way to first-team All-SWAC honors.
In 2018, Ju'Anthony Parker earned first-team All-SWAC and BOXTOROW All-America honors for the second straight year while Harris had a career high in interceptions, and both players had interception returns for touchdowns.
While coaching safeties in 2017, Reggie Stubblefield emerged as the fourth leading tackler on the team (51 stops) while tying for second in interceptions (two), and leading the team in pass breakups (10).
In 2016, Marquice O'Leary was fourth on the team in tackles and third in passes defensed. Running back turned nickel back Arthur Lockett was sixth in tackles, tied for the team lead in interceptions, returning one for touchdown, and ranked second on the team in passes defensed.
In 2015, O'Leary earned second-team All-SWAC honors after ranking third on the team in both tackles (51) and passes defensed (five) and second in interceptions (two).
In 2014, true freshman defensive back Damond Jackson flourished under McDowell’s guidance as he earned a spot on the All-SWAC second team. Jackson finished third on the team with 80 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. He also broke up five passes and forced a fumble with one interception.
McDowell was challenged with working with one of the youngest units on the team entering the 2013 season as the majority of players in his unit had limited NCAA playing experience. At the end of the season, a pair of redshirt freshmen cornerbacks in Joshua Holley and Foster Brown II finished fourth and fifth, respectively, on the team in tackles while also combining for 10 pass breakups.
McDowell played a big part in the career performance from safety Brian Medlock in 2012 as he earned All-SWAC Second Team Honors at safety during his senior campaign. Medlock led the Panthers with four interceptions in 2012 and finished tied for second in SWAC play in addition to defending a total of eight passes. Under McDowell’s watch, safety Korey Alston also had a big season as he completed his inaugural season at Prairie View A&M with 41 tackles and three pass breakups.
In his first year at Prairie View A&M in 2011, McDowell inherited the youngest unit on the defensive side of the ball as only one player had made a start in a collegiate game. Despite the lack of experience, the Panthers received career highs from all of its safeties as Medlock led the way after finishing fifth on the team in tackles along with four pass breakups.
Born in Georgia and raised in Florida, McDowell was a four-year letterman at the University of Miami and earned a National Championship ring as a starter on the undefeated 1987 squad under former head coach Jimmy Johnson. McDowell was also recognized by ESPN for his play on the gridiron that season as his knock down of a two-point attempt against longtime rival Florida State was featured as the 11th-best play that defined college football. He graduated with a degree in business management in 1989.
McDowell was drafted by the NFL’s Houston Oilers in 1989 and immediately became a starter en route to earning First Team All-Rookie Accolades from Pro Football Weekly and Football News. After a solid rookie year, McDowell played a big part in the Oilers’ success on the field as they posted five consecutive winning seasons and five AFC Playoff berths from 1989 to 1993. In 1991, McDowell earned NFL All-Pro Honors and was honored by the Oilers with the “Ed Block Memorial Courage Award” which acknowledged his courage in the pursuit of professional excellence.
During his final season with the Oilers in 1994, McDowell was selected as the Houston Oilers’ NFL Man of the Year for his work in the community. McDowell moved to the state of North Carolina prior to the 1995 season and helped usher in a new era as he played on the inaugural roster of the Carolina Panthers before retiring the next season.
Despite concluding his career in North Carolina, McDowell remained popular in the city of Houston for his work in both the business and community sectors. In 1995, he became one of the first two professional athletes to receive the Human Enrichment of Life "Young African American Achiever" award. During the same year, he became the first athlete ever to receive the Friends of Friends "Positive Influential African American Male" award. In 1996, McDowell earned the first "Warren Moon Athletic and Community Service Award" by Houston's United Negro College Fund which recognized former professional athletes who have excelled in their particular sport while improving the lives of others.
In the business sector, McDowell was a partner and vice president for Copeland’s of New Orleans in Houston for several years. However, the urge to return to the gridiron hit McDowell once again which led him to Texas Southern University from 2003 to 2006. In 2007, McDowell moved up to the NCAA Division I-A ranks and accepted the position of safeties coach under then-head coach Art Briles at the University of Houston. While at UH, McDowell helped the Cougars field the top pass defense in Conference USA and a berth in the Texas Bowl.
McDowell remained active in a variety of athletic ventures across the Houston area in addition to coaching on the high school level for several years. He has also completed NFL Minority Coaching Internships with the Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans.
McDowell has two sons, Trey and Myles.
