Once a Teacher

Recruiting, they say, is all about relationships; building confidence and trust between the prospective student-athlete and the coach. Having a few national championships in the trophy case is always a plus of course, but it's the people an athlete will spend countless hours with that make the difference.

In the case of Oklahoma men's gymnastics junior Allan Bower, Oklahoma had an ace in the hole.

Allan Bower prepares for a pass on floor. The junior helped Oklahoma secure its ninth NCAA national title in 2015 and picked up All-America honors in the all-around and pommel horse along the way.

Even six-time national champion head coaches get their start somewhere. For Oklahoma head man Mark Williams, his start came at the high school level as both the boys and girls coach at Millard North High School in Omaha, Neb. As is most often the case, that gig came with a teaching position.

Armed with a bachelor's degree in secondary education/English, the natural fit for Williams, who would go on to earn a master's degree in journalism and professional writing at OU, was grammar. As fate would have it, Bower's mother Jane, then a sophomore and a club gymnast herself, fell under the tutelage of Allan's future coach.

“That was just a horrible class to be in anyway,” Williams explained. “Half the time, I was, like, one plan ahead of the students in that class. It wasn't even like it was a literature class, something that is fun. So, I wish it had been something that was a little more interesting. I taught a novels class, an American literature class, she wasn't in those. But, I had a little bit of a camaraderie with her because of her gymnastics.”

Williams will admit that his grammar class may not have been the most stimulating academic experience, but it did foster a connection that would pay off for the Sooners down the line.

“Through the years, as she had a son doing gymnastics, I would see her at some of these meets,” Williams said. She'd be like, 'that's my little one over there.' I can remember when Allan was small enough that he could go through the bottom of the P-bars without having to bend his legs at all. He was tiny, and he was very good even back then, so it was something that I kind of kept an eye on. As he progressed and got older, and certainly when he became a junior and eligible to be recruited, I hoped that Jane remembered that we had known each other back when and that he'd be interested in coming to Oklahoma.”

“I can remember when Allan was small enough that he could go through the bottom of the P-bars without having to bend his legs at all. He was tiny.” — Head Coach Mark Williams

“We had known Mark throughout the years and we would see each other at different gymnastic meets and would always talk to him a bit,” Jane said. “We would reminisce about our high school years and growing up in the sport of gymnastics. So I always respected Mark and always knew that he was a great coach. I knew that he ran a great program, and Allan looked at several different schools, but like I said, was always interested in Oklahoma.”

Fortunately for Oklahoma, that foot in the door was all it would need to eventually make Bower a Sooner. No small feat considering both Bower's parents attended the University of Nebraska, a long-time rival and gymnastics powerhouse.

“It was probably my junior year in high school, I started looking at schools,” Bower said. “My parents, they went to Nebraska, so during their time, Oklahoma and Nebraska were huge rivals. I'm surprised that they never really said anything. They were always just like, 'follow your heart and go wherever you want to go.'”

“I encouraged Allan to look at Oklahoma, but he also looked at Nebraska because I was an alumni from Nebraska,” Jane said. “So those were some difficult times when he was deciding where to go, but we did feel a lot of respect for Mark. We knew he was knowledgeable not only in gymnastics, but in life. So we were excited when Allan was offered a scholarship there.”

“As soon as I visited Oklahoma, I actually knew that I wanted to come here just because of all the guys and the coaches and the university as a whole,” Bower said. “I saw the guys working out here, and I saw the kind of coaching we got, and I just felt like this was my home.”

 Williams gives Bower a pat on the back after another routine well done.

The Oklahoma men's gymnastics program – with its nine national championships, 22 conference titles, 43 NCAA champions, seven Nissen-Emery winners, 263 All-Americans, world-class facilities and Olympic success – can sell itself to recruits, but Williams believes the relationship and trust he built with Jane was the difference in landing Bower.

“I absolutely think that he probably would have gone somewhere else if we hadn't had that relationship,” Williams said. “The fact that we're also a good program helps certainly, but I could talk to her, and a lot of times when you're doing the recruiting process, if you can sell the mom, the son will follow. In this case, it definitely worked in our favor. He was a junior national team member, good enough to be recruited by everybody, so he probably could have gone wherever he wanted to. I remember my first call was actually to his mother rather than to him.”

“We learn from him every day ... I think the biggest thing he has taught me is confidence. Whenever I raise my hand to do a routine, he taught me that I can do it and that I shouldn't be afraid. ”
- Allan Bower

The Sooners have been fortunate to have Bower. Now a junior, Bower was a huge contributor to last year's national championship run, notching scores for OU on pommel horse, vault and parallel bars at the NCAA Finals. He finished 2015 second in the nation in vault scoring average (15.225) and earned All-America honors in the all-around and on pommel horse. At the 2015 Winter Cup, Bower placed sixth in the all-around with a two-day total of 171.700 to earn a place on the U.S. Senior Men's National Team.

His success has continued into 2016. Bower has won three event titles in the Sooners' young season and currently ranks in the top five in scoring average on pommel horse (2^nd - 15.033), vault (T5th – 15.117) and parallel bars (T5th – 14.950).

One of the reasons Bower has been successful dates back to Williams' time in the classroom. Even in his 17^th season as a head coach, Williams has never stopped teaching.

“I'm sure he relates to us as his students,” Bower said. “We learn from him every day, and he's a great teacher for me in gymnastics. I'm sure he was a great teacher back then in school. I think the biggest thing he has taught me is confidence. Whenever I raise my hand to do a routine, he taught me that I can do it and that I shouldn't be afraid. I've done it so many times in the gym that it should be just natural whenever I'm at a competition.”

“I think as a teacher, I always had to have a plan,” Williams said. “If I went into a classroom and I wasn't prepared, the kids knew it right away that I was full of it. I know that the lesson plans I put together as a teacher has helped me as a coach because that's one of my strengths now: the planning behind what we do every day and being prepared so that I almost see it before we do it.”

Bower performs on pommel horse in the Sooners' 2016 home opener against No. 6 Iowa and No. 8 Cal. Bower has helped the Sooners to a 7-0 start and the best scoring average in the nation.

With two generations of Bowers in his teaching portfolio, Williams has some experience with the family. Jane is hopeful that Williams sees the best of her in Allan.

“I just hope he sees a hard work ethic and the ability to work together with a team,” Jane said. “Hopefully those are qualities I've helped carry over to Allan. All of those important qualities that we want to see in our children as they grow older, are what I hope Mark sees in Allan, and I think that he does. Allan is a very hard worker and very committed to the university and to the gymnastics team. I know he wants to be a leader and help the team grow, get better and continue to be successful.”

Rest easy, Mom. Allan is doing just that.

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