Dan Bower completed his first season as an assistant coach at Washington State, coaching the Cougar outfielders.
Last season, Bower helped the Cougars to a 2026 Mountain West Conference Championship and the program’s first trip back to the NCAA Tournament since 2010. Washington State finished the season with a 31-28 record, the most wins since the 2010 season, including WSU’s first conference championship since 1976. WSU posted seven series wins for the first time since 2017, had six-straight series wins for the first time since 1995 and posted 18 road wins, the second-most road wins since 2000. Five players earn All-Mountain West Conference honors including three hitters in outfielder Max Hartman, infielder Gavin Roy and first baseman Ryan Skjonsby along with pitchers Nick Lewis and Griffin Smith.
Bower arrived at WSU after working the previous three seasons at Centralia College as the associate head coach, recruiting coordinator, hitting coach and outfield coach.
In his first year with the program in 2023, Bower, who also coached third base, helped lead Centralia to a 26-win campaign, its highest win total since 1985 and the first winning season for the program since 2010. Bower also helped Centralia to a 30-win season the following year in 2024 before six players earned All-NWAC honors in 2025.
The Blazers saw a jump in nearly every offensive category in his first season as the hitting coach, including runs scored, on-base percentage, slugging, hits, walks, doubles, home runs, RBI, extra-base-hits and total bases. The Blazers hit 17 home runs in 2023, tied for second in the NWAC over the course of the regular season, after hitting only four the year prior.
Prior to coming to Centralia, Bower spent two seasons on former MLB All-Star Chris Sabo’s staff at the University of Akron. He was the team’s outfield coach, worked with the hitters, and was the Zips’ first base coach. In his second season at Akron, the Zips outfielders combined for an eye-popping 27 assists.
While at Akron 2021-22, Coach Bower helped develop outfielder Bryant Shellenbarger into a top defender and professional baseball player. After Bower’s first season with the Zips, Shellenbarger won The Northwoods League 2021 Rawlings ‘Finest in the Field’ Award, recognizing the best fielder at each position during the summer ball season. After the conclusion of Bower’s second season on the Akron staff, Shellenbarger began his professional career with the Eastside Diamond Hoppers of the United Shore Professional Baseball League.
Prior to his time in Akron, Bower was the Volunteer Assistant for Cuyahoga Community College for the2020 season, where he also led the outfielders, worked with the team’s hitters, and was the Triceratops’ first base coach. Bower discovered his passion for coaching while serving at the youth level, having previously coached for the Cleveland Whitecaps, Force Ohio, and the Cleveland Jr. RBI Program.
Bower is a Cleveland, Ohio native, graduated from Ohio University with a BBA in Finance and Business Economics in 2011 and earned his JD from the Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2014.