Zips football: Bowden sharing duties; promotes Milwee

Akron Zips football coach Terry Bowden will share the reins to his offense.

Bowden promoted assistant A.J. Milwee to offensive coordinator Wednesday giving him control of a unit that provided its share of thrills for the football team this year with its quick pace and emphasis on the passing game.

"I'm excited to give A.J. this opportunity," said Bowden in a news release, who assumed the role of offensive coordinator during the 2012 season, his first as UA's head coach. He has a great mind for the style of offense we run and worked really well with our quarterbacks this past season. He and I shared much of the play calling duty this past year and I will continue to work closely with the offense."

Under Bowden the Zips total offense improved from one of the worst in the MAC to the upper half of the conference and scoring offense rose from last to eighth.

Milwee, who quarterbacked Bowden teams at the University of North Alabama, is well suited to continue that trajectory given his familiarity with the team’s system.

Ultimately, however, the move will give Bowden the opportunity to focus on the team as a whole, while Milwee will focus on the day-to-day duties of the offense.

Milwee came to Akron after one year on staff at East Mississippi Community College, helping the program to an NJCAA national championship. He spent the 2009 and 2010 seasons on Bowden's staff at UNA as a graduate assistant that worked with the quarterbacks. In that time on the Lions staff the program went a combined 20-6, made back-to-back playoff appearances and were 2009 Gulf South Conference champions, according to the release.