North Texas introduced a KU football assistant as the Mean Green's new defensive coordinator and safeties coach on Thursday.

Clint Bowen, previously the Mean Green's defensive coordinator (2011), was most recently the safeties coach for KU football, but he held several roles in his extended time in and around the KU program. Bowen was the defensive coordinator for the last year of the Charlie Weis-era at KU and for all of David Beaty's four-year tenure as coach. Bowen also had a brief stint as interim coach after the firing of Weis in 2014, and he also held several other positions on staff.

Now, of course, he'll be back in his defensive coordinator role at North Texas.

At one point or another, Bowen's KU athletics bio page lists him as having experience as safeties coach, linebackers coach, defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator — as well as having experience working with the tight ends and running backs. Bowen, who worked for KU from 1998-2009 and 2012-2019, was the co-defensvie coordinator and safeties coach on KU's Orange Bowl team, and he was the solo defensive coordinator for the 2008 season, which included a victory at the Insight Bowl. Bowen was also a defensive back for the Jayhawks in the '90s.

"First, I would like to thank Seth Littrell and Wren Baker for the opportunity to return to UNT," Bowen said in the North Texas release. "It had to be the perfect situation for me to leave KU and that is exactly what UNT offers. Coach Littrell is so well respected in the coaching profession and has established a foundation and culture at UNT that puts the program in position for tremendous success. I am excited to be a part of the future of Mean Green football."

Littrell also gave a comment on Bowen in the North Texas release.

"Coach Bowen is a huge addition for us and we are happy to have the opportunity to bring such an experienced defensive coach back to Denton," Littrell said. "He has been successful throughout his career and is someone I respect greatly. I can't wait to bring him into our family and culture and give him the opportunity to leave a great mark on our program."

Others quoted in the release were former KU head coach Mark Mangino and former KU football cornerback Aqib Talib.

Mark Mangino: "Clint will do an outstanding job as UNT's new defensive coordinator. He is an exceptional teacher of fundamentals and schemes and does it with with a tireless work ethic. He played a key role in our success at Kansas and is also an intense recruiter that knows how to build relationships."



Aqib Talib: "I remember playing for coach Bowen at KU. I came in as a safety, so he was my position coach. I recall him explaining the same cover 4 concepts that I played in high school, but it made much more sense coming from him. He was a great teacher and he demanded his players to know their assignments. I believe the more experience you have at a job, the better you will be at it. With his experience, I think he will make a great defensive coordinator for North Texas."