The Bower Academic Excellence Center

About The Bower Academic Excellence Center

The Bower Academic Excellence Center will provide an up-to-date space to meet the academic needs of more than 360 Southern Miss student-athletes. The Center will reinforce academic excellence as an area of focus for athletes and benefit them by providing a specialized location to meet the scholastic expectations of the NCAA and the University. This renovation will be extremely beneficial to the recruitment efforts of prospective student-athletes, as it will provide a glimpse of the top-notch academic and athletic experience gained when choosing Southern Miss. 

Your support of The Bower Academic Excellence Center contributes to:

• A dedicated space, conducive to learning, where academic excellence is reinforced as an integral part of the Southern Miss student-athlete experience.
• Providing resources for academic enhancement staff to assist all student-athletes with their respective areas of study.
• Lounge areas where student-athletes can rest and study between practices and classes, equipped with space for student-athletes to engage in group study sessions.
• A career resource center used to conduct mock job interviews and provide other professional development opportunities preparing Southern Miss student-athletes for success after graduation.

The Legacy of Coach Bower

Jeff Bower cemented his name in Southern Miss Athletics history, from his playing days as quarterback for the Golden Eagles to his 17-year tenure as the head football coach. During his time as head coach his teams amassed an impressive 119 wins, four conference championships and six bowl game victories. More impressive, though, is the high regard he held for his athletes in the classroom.

Under Coach Bower's leadership, Southern Miss Football produced three Academic All-Americans, two Woody Hayes National Scholar Athletes and five American Football Coaches Association Academic Achievement Team Award honorable mentions. Another testament to Coach Bower's emphasis on academic achievement is his family's scholarship endowment named after his late daughter, Kristin Bower - the largest scholarship endowment within the USM Athletic Foundation. It is only fitting to name the new athletic center after this Southern Miss Athletics icon.