Longtime Abilene Christian employee, and a favorite of students around campus, Ryan Bowman was hired as associate athletic director for student-athlete experience and life skills in July 2025.

Bowman transitioned to ACU Athletics following 15 years in various roles with the university including Title IX investigator and case manager, recruiter for the College of Biblical Studies, associate director of spiritual formation, and, most recently, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA).

His position in athletics involves building relationships with student-athletes, helping them transition to ACU and Abilene, and connecting them with resources to be grow spiritually, academically, and socially.

Like his previous jobs at ACU, Bowman will continue doing two things he is passionate about: working directly with students, and strengthening community.

"When you've been relegated as an athlete all your life, that identity is easy to zip yourself in. My job is to give you the shovel. Your job is to unearth all the goodness that God has put in you. The world has a way of putting dirt mounds on top of that, but at the bottom there is still a deep, rich source of goodness in you. My job is to show you where to dig, but it's your job to want to get there."

Bowman earned a bachelor's degree in communication and media studies (2006), and a master's in organizational leadership (2015) from ACU.