On Wednesday, Goshen College announced Erik Bowen as the interim head coach of the men’s basketball team.
The move comes a week after the athletic department relieved Kyle Capps of his coaching duties with the men’s basketball team on March 5. In an email sent to players at the time, Chad Coleman, interim athletic director, said, “This was a difficult decision, and I appreciate the time and effort [Capps] has given to our program.”
Capps was the head coach for three seasons, after serving under former head coach Jon Tropf as an assistant and then associate coach, from 2020-22. After Tropf stepped away, Capps was named interim head coach and then head coach.
During his time at the helm, Capps posted an 8-76 record, good for a winning percentage of .095, which ranks last among all former GC men’s basketball head coaches. During the 2023-24 season his team went 0-28.
In the Crossroads League, Capps finished 1-53, with the lone win against Taylor University on Jan. 26, 2023. GC never finished higher than last in conference under Capps.
According to Coleman, GC “decided a change in leadership was needed” after a “careful and thoughtful evaluation of the program and its progress over the last three years.”
Coleman said that the department evaluates programs and coaches every year, and that it’s a “continual and evolving process — focused not just on wins and losses, but on overall growth and progress.”
Jeter Edwards, who was a sophomore on the team before transferring for scholarsip related reasons, mentioned that on the court, Capps was known for having “on and off days.”
“He would be coaching and might yell at somebody or say something that he didn’t really mean to say,” Edwards said, “but he’s just saying it in a coach way.”
Edwards continued, “I’m not going to say [Capps] was my favorite coach, but he definitely was more than just a coach. He helped people outside of basketball, whether it was family stuff or anything like that, he was just there for people.”
For Edwards, his interactions with GC started with Bowen, who talked to him first and invited him to a camp at GC.
Bowen, who was an assistant coach under both Tropf and
Capps, is stepping in as the interim head coach. For Bowen and the players, a coaching transition can be tough.
“I think it’s mixed emotions,” Bowen said. “Change like this is never easy for everyone, but as we’ve been saying, doors close, doors open, changes happen.”
Bowen continued, “I think change is inevitable in life, growth is optional … it’s just how you choose to respond to it.”
Bowen said that his emphasis is on keeping the team together over the transition period. He plans on treating this time like he is the current head coach and like he will be next season. He will apply for the job when it gets posted. As the only coach currently working with the team, he has a lot on his plate from workouts to recruiting.
“I do think that my ultimate goal is to give these guys a good experience for the rest of the school year,” Bowen said. “They have decisions to make. There’s obviously uncertainty in certain areas with interim AD, interim head coach, players leaving, players going.
“That’s the landscape of college basketball, and even college athletics overall in a way right now.”
Bowen graduated in 2018 from Grace College, a conference opponent of GC, where he was a three-time All-Crossroads League selection. He’s coached at GC for five seasons, “through ups and downs” and two head coaches. When asked why he is still around and wants to get the job, Bowen said it was more than just the game.
“It’s the guys,” he said. “I have been blessed with the other coaches and administration and professors in ways that have shown that they care, not even as much about me, but about the guys.”
“It’s really about growing them and setting them up for when the basketball stops bouncing.”
Coleman said the college is still working through the timeline for posting the head coaching job opening and hopes to have more information soon. The athletic director position is currently posted.
