USVI's Jareem Dowling named assistant hoops coach at Morehead State

ST. CROIX - I doesn't like to say 'I told you so.' But in this case, I have to admit I am Nostradamus.

Several years ago, I wrote an article about coach Jareem Dowling, a St. Croix native, and his new job at Slippery Rock University. I predicted that in the next five years Dowling will be at a Division I school. Dowling proved my prediction correct when he signed with Morehead State University on May 23. If my calculations are right, I think he is the first Virgin Islander to coach at this level.

"It is a surreal feeling," Dowling said. "I can't believe a guy from Princesse/Richmond could reach so far. It's unbelievable, fortunate, blessed, and I am living a dream."

To understand who Dowling is, it's best to ask the guys who hired him. I was granted audience with Morehead State head coach Donnie Tyndall, Slippery Rock University head coach Kevin Reynolds and current New Orleans assistant coach and former Cecil Community head coach Bill Lewit.

Coach Tyndall said he was impressed with his new assistant coach.

"The first thing I noticed about Dowling is he has great character," he said. "He has a tremendous amount of passion for the game and he is what you call a grinder. Dowling worked under Reynolds and Lewit, and they know what I expect from my staff. I think his experience as an assistant and as a head coach internationally will help Morehead get to another level."

Coach Tyndall learned of Dowling after coach Reynolds gave him a call.

"Coach Reynolds highly recommended him for the opening," said Tyndall. "I was very impressed with his hunger for the opportunity and his willingness to accept any role."

Reynolds said that Dowling will be missed at Slippery Rock University. He was responsible for recruiting six All-Conference players, two All-Americans and one Conference Player of the Year.

"Coach Dowling has done a great job at Slippery Rock," said Reynolds. "The recruits he brought in have helped us to three straight winning seasons, including two 21-win seasons. He has left a big imprint on this program and is going to be missed."

He added, "The goal in college sports is to lose good players and coaches. If you are racking up victories and postseason play, then you're doing something right. That was the goal and Dowling did it.

Reynolds said that Dowling will use "his expertise on the recruiting trail and become a great addition" to Morehead State.

"Whatever they need him to do, he will do," he said.

Reynolds praised Dowling's character.

"Dowling is a good coach, but a better person," he said. "He has a winning attitude wherever he has been, and I expect the same at Morehead."

Lewit knows Dowling as a player and as a coach because Dowling was a two-year starter at Cecil Community College, leading the team to the 2000-01 Maryland JUCO regular-season championship and earning All-Tournament honors. Dowling also led Cecil to a championship and the NJCAA Division II Final Four in 2002-03.

The 6-foot-6 forward helped the school amass a 51-11 record in two seasons. And as a coach, he hlped Cecil compile an impressive 97-6 record from 2005-08. Cecil won three Maryland State regular-season championships, three state tournament titles, two regional championships and the 2006 NJCAA Division II national championship during that span.

"I call Dowling 'King Midas,' " said Lewit. "Every program he has been apart of has turned to gold. He is instrumental in scouting, studying game film, game planning and live scouting."

"I remember one time Dowling jumped on a plane to Michigan and scouted a rival team out of his own pocket," Lewit said. "He came back with the other team's call list."

Lewit also praised Dowling's recruiting skills.

"Dowling comes up big in recruiting. He has brought in four All-Americans in his tenure at Cecil," Lewit said. "I don't want to sound like the other coaches, but he is relentless. He has the work ethic to be successful in this business. He also has the uncanny ability to know when to lead and serve."

"Dowling is career driven," he added. "There is no task too small or too large for him to engage in. He has left every place he has been with a positive residue."

Dowling has been the head coach for the Virgin Islands men's junior national team for the last four summers, and his biggest accomplishment was leading the 17 and Under team to a bronze medal in the 2008 CentroBasket, which was held in Aguas Calientes, Mexico. The team then went on to the Tournament of the Americas, a competition that it has participated in only once.

Dowling has also served as an assistant for the Virgin Islands Senior National Team, worked for former Rhode Island, UCLA and Georgia coach Jim Harrick, current Jackson State coach Tevester Anderson, and Milton Barnes of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

I asked Lewit, Reynolds and Tyndall where they see Dowling in the future.

"I can see Dowling as a head coach," said Tyndall. "However, he is only 29 years old and he has time to prove himself. He has to show that he can recruit and win games. If he does those two things well, the sky is the limit."

"I am not a good at predicting anything," said Reynolds. "I just want him to do well at Moorehead State. If he works hard, anything could happen."

Lewit said that Dowling could move on to a head coach job at a junior college or Division II school in the next two years and at a Division I schoolin three-to-five years.

'Virgin Islander'

Dowling goes to an Eagles team that had a school-record tying 25 wins and even won an NCAA Tournament game. I can see him as an NBA coach in the next 10 years.

"My name is Jareem Dowling, son of Shermaine Samuel-King and Robert Dowling," said Dowling. "Some of you may know me as Dowling or Samuel; however, my most important last name is 'I am a Virgin Islander!' I dedicate this opportunity to all my family and siblings and especially Leo King, my brother who passed away."

Remembering Tafo

All young athletes must read Mike Fish's "Feeling pressure to pick a school." Fish is an investigative reporter from ESPN.com., and the story features former Antilles School standout Fabrice Tafo, who along with Aziz Mohammed, caused a stir in the high school hoops community when they transformed the little private school into a hoops power. The story was essentially about Tafo and his tumultuous relationship with A-Hope foundation, which was largely responsible for taking players to the states to play basketball. Like I said, it's a must-read for anyone interested in the business side of high school or AAU basketball.

- David Edole is a V.I. resident and sports enthusiast.

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