UNION, Ky. — Cooper High School named Ryan Bowman as its girls basketball coach, the school announced Monday morning.
Bowman succeeds former Cooper coach Christian Prohaska, who coached the program for one season. Cooper earned a 20-9 record this past season.
Bowman brings 20 years of basketball coaching experience and a strong commitment student-athlete development, according to a news release from the school.
“Cooper High School is excited to announce Coach Bowman and reflects the school’s continued commitment to expanding opportunities for female student-athletes,” Cooper athletic director Randy Borchers said in the news release. “With Coach Bowman at the helm, the program will continue with its strong foundation which is rooted in excellence, teamwork, and pride.”
Bowman has served as the Conner junior varsity girls basketball coach (2025-26) and previously led the Ludlow girls basketball varsity program during the 2024-25 season.
Prior to that, Bowman was the Boone County girls basketball varsity head coach from 2017 to 2021 where he played a key role in revitalizing the program.
During his tenure, Boone County achieved its first district wins since 2016, recorded three consecutive seasons of double-digit victories, and secured its first winning season in the 2020–2021 campaign in several years, according to a news release.
Bowman’s coaching résumé also includes experience at Cooper, Conner and Ryle in head coach and assistant coaching roles.
Bowman has been a part of teams who have earned district championships, district runner-up finishes, multiple regional appearances, a Ninth Region title, and a state runner-Up finish in 2017.
Bowman holds a Master’s degree in Professional Counseling from the University of the Cumberlands, a Master’s degree in Special Education from Georgetown College, and a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Northern Kentucky University.
“Coach Bowman understands the demands of the game and brings a player-focused, development-driven approach to coaching,” Cooper High School said in its news release.
“He leads with core principles emphasizing that his teams will play together, fight together, fail together, and respond together. Grounded in strong leadership and effective communication, Bowman is committed to student athletes competing with confidence, maintaining faith in themselves and one another, and never giving in to fear while striving for both individual and team success."
