Thomas Walter Dowling (March 8, 1940 – January 7, 2018) was an American football coach best known for his stint as head coach of Liberty University in the 1970s and 1980s. A graduate of Georgetown College, Dowling coached for over 30 years on the collegiate level. His coaching Family tree includes Mike Ayers of Wofford College. Both coach Ayers’ son Travis Dowling, and his grandson Ezra Dowling are named for Coach Dowling. Playing career Dowling played football for Georgetown College serving as co-captain of the 1960 team. He also won the KIAC championship in the shot put while competing for the track team. Coaching career Dowling began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater, Georgetown College. After four successful seasons he became the third head coach at Liberty Baptist College (now called Liberty University). He led the Flames in their transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II in 1981. After Liberty, he moved on to start the football program at Cumberland College (now called University of the Cumberlands) in Williamsburg, Kentucky. Later life Dowling later served as commissioner of the Mid-South Conference from 1995 to 2002. He died of pancreatic cancer on January 7, 2018. Head coaching record References 1940 births 2018 deaths People from Springfield, Kentucky Cumberlands Patriots football coaches Deaths from cancer in Kentucky Deaths from pancreatic cancer Georgetown Tigers football coaches Georgetown Tigers football players Liberty Flames football coaches Mid-South Conference commissioners College men's track and field athletes in the United States