Willie McGowan, who served as the head men's soccer coach for five seasons beginning in 2017 through the 2021 campaign, became the Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance and Business Services in September 2021. Following the 2021 season, McGowan moved into the administration full time.
Beginning in April 2022, McGowan became the sport administrator for men's soccer and women and men's golf.
McGowan came to Fayette and Upper Iowa after serving as the head women's soccer coach at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa from 2012-16, where he led the Statesmen to 29 wins.
At William Penn, McGowan coached ten all-conference players, one NSCAA all-region player, 16 academic all-conference honorees, and eight NAIA Scholar-Athletes.
Prior to his time with the Statesmen, McGowan spent seven seasons with the women's soccer program at Iowa Central Community College from 2005-2011. During that stretch, he led the Tritons to an 87-42-9 record, including a 37-14-3 mark in conference play. He was named NSCAA Central Region Women's Coach of the Year and NJCAA Region XI Men's and Women's Coach of the Year in 2005 after pushing the Tritons to a seventh-place finish at the NJCAA National Tournament. He was also the Tritons' head men's soccer coach during the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
McGowan earned his associate's degree from Iowa Central in 2000 and began his coaching career with the Tritons as an assistant for both the men's and women's programs in 2002. He continued in that position until being tabbed as the head coach for both squads in 2005.
He has also logged many seasons in the high school ranks at Fort Dodge High School. McGowan served as the assistant boy's coach in 2003 and 2004, the head boy's coach in 2005 and 2006 and returned to Fort Dodge as the head coach of the girl's team from 2009 to 2011. He was named CIML Coach of the Year in 2011 after leading Fort Dodge to its first-ever state ranking.
McGowan owns several coaching certifications, including an NSCAA Premier Diploma, a USSF National 'D' Certificate, and an NSCAA Regional Goalkeeping Diploma (Level II).
He earned a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2002 from Grand View University and a master's degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University (Calif.) in 2011.
