Raphael Dowdye Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach First Season at NU: 2004 Alma Mater: West Virginia Wesleyan '96

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Raphael Dowdye is in his fifth season on the Northeastern coaching staff and his first as co-defensive coordinator. He spent the previous three seasons as recruiting coordinator and defensive backs coach, after serving as the running backs coach in 2004. His guidance in the secondary helped produce a pair of All-Atlantic 10 third team defensive backs in Richard Orah and Lamar Gay in 2006. While in charge of the running backs, the Huskies managed to finish fourth in the Atlantic 10 in rushing offense in 2004. Prior to his arrival at NU, Dowdye, 35, spent four seasons coaching at Brown, two as the cornerbacks coach and two as coach of the running backs. Dowdye mentored a young running back named Nick Hartigan, who went on to become the school’s all-time leading rusher. He had two coaching stints at his alma mater, West Virginia Wesleyan, the first in 1996 immediately following his graduation. In 1997, he took a job as the defensive backs coach at Bethany College in West Virginia, before returning for two seasons to West Virginia Wesleyan. In his second stint with the Bobcats, he helped lead the team to back-to-back top 10 national rankings in pass defense. Off the field, Dowdye was an academic liaison to prospective student-athletes and an intercultural liaison to minority student-athletes. Dowdye was a four-year starter at cornerback for West Virginia Wesleyan and was named All-Conference three times. He also starred for the Bobcats in track & field as an All-America sprinter. He graduated from WVWC in 1996 with a degree in Business Management and Economics. Dowdye is a local product, growing up in Boston and attending Madison Park Technical Vocational High School. Dowdye, who was selected to participate in the 2007 NCAA Men’s Football Coaches Academy, currently resides in Providence, R.I.