William & Mary Athletics

Ras-I Dowling enters his seventh season at William & Mary and his third as the co-defensive coordinator after earning the promotion in 2023. He also continues to serve as the Tribe’s secondary coach, a role he has held since 2020.
 
Under his direction, the Tribe’s defensive unit thrived during the 2024 campaign and ranked among the CAA’s best in multiple statistical categories. In addition to ranking second in the conference in passing efficiency defense (121.04), W&M also ranked third in interceptions (12).
 
Cornerback Jalen Jones highlighted the Tribe’s individual accolades defensively, as he was honored as a first-team All-America selection by six organizations and a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award for FCS national defensive player of the year after leading the country in passes defended (22), passes defended per game (1.8) and pass breakups (20). Additionally, a trio of standouts – defensive lineman Ty Gordon, defensive back Sascha Garcia and defensive back TJ McGill – were honored as freshman All-Americans.
 
A first-team all-conference selection, Jones was one of our Tribe standouts on the defensive side to garner All-CAA honors in 2024, as he was joined by safety Marcus Barnes, linebacker Alex Washington and defensive lineman Davin Dzidzienyo. Barnes, a two-time All-CAA selection, earned a rookie minicamp invite from the Cincinnati Bengals.
 
During his first season as co-coordinator, W&M’s defense established itself among the nation’s best and ranked fourth nationally in passing defense (153.5), 10th in total defense (303.8), 12th in scoring defense (18.5) and 16th in third down conversion defense (.328).
 
In addition to the success collectively in 2023, a number of standouts posted tremendous seasons individually, highlighted by a trio of All-Americans – defensive end Nate Lynn, linebacker John Pius and cornerback Ryan Poole. All three standouts earned first-team all-conference honors, while safety Marcus Barnes, safety Malcolm Spencer and linebacker Kevin Jarrell also garnered All-CAA distinction.
 
Lynn and Poole both continued their playing careers professionally, as Lynn signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Lions while Poole was invited to the San Francisco 49ers rookie minicamp.
 
Promoted to W&M’s defensive passing game coordinator prior to the 2022 season, Dowling made a tremendous impact during his first year in the new role. His unit helped the Tribe rank sixth nationally in third down conversion defense (.315) and 18th in pass efficiency defense (117.8) – figures that ranked first and second, respectively, in the Colonial Athletic Association. Additionally, W&M ranked third in the CAA in pass defense (199.15) and interceptions (10).
 
That success helped propel W&M to new heights as a program, as the Tribe equaled a school record with 11 victories, won a share of the CAA title and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals.
 
Highlighting the Tribe standouts who benefited from Dowling’s tutelage were a pair of cornerbacks in Jalen Jones and Ryan Poole. Jones was selected as the CAA Defensive Rookie of the Year and was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, which honors the FCS National Freshman of the Year. Additionally, he was chosen as the state of Virginia’s Defensive Rookie of the Year by VaSID and earned freshman All-America distinction by Stats Perform, HERO Sports and Phil Steele Magazine. Poole earned All-CAA first-team accolades, marking the second straight season he has garnered all-league honors, while Jones was joined on the VaSID All-State Team by safety Tye Freeland.
 
W&M’s secondary was also instrumental in the Tribe’s defensive success in 2021, as the Tribe ranked 18th nationally in interceptions (14) and tied for third in the CAA in pass efficiency defense (119.4). Individually Poole garnered all-conference distinction after ranking tied for seventh nationally in passes defended, while he was joined on the VaSID All-State First Team by safety Gage Herdman, who led all CAA safeties in interceptions (4) - an impressive figure that also ranked third among all the league's players.
 
Although the COVID-19 global pandemic limited the 2020 campaign to a three-game slate during the spring, Dowling’s unit emerged as one of the league’s best and ranked fourth in the conference in passing defense (167.7).
 
Dowling, who joined W&M’s staff as cornerbacks coach in 2019, was instrumental in his group’s success during his first season in Williamsburg, as Corey Parker and Latrelle Smith, a true freshman, combined to be one of the conference’s top tandems. In addition to recording four interceptions, the duo combined to total 23 passes defended. Additionally, Parker ranked fourth in the conference with 1.17 PBU per game en route to earning second-team all-conference honors. 
 
Dowling joined London at W&M after serving on his staff at Howard University the previous two seasons where he coached and developed Bryan Cook, who was selected with the 62nd overall pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2022 NFL Draft.
 
After working as a defensive quality control coach on HU’s 2017 squad that posted a 7-4 overall record and a 6-2 mark in league play, Dowling was promoted to cornerbacks coach in 2018.
 
Drafted by Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots with the 33rd overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Dowling became the highest selected defensive back to ever play at the University of Virginia.
 
During his five years in the league, Dowling was a member of two Super Bowl teams – New England Patriots (2011) and Carolina Panthers (2015). He also spent time with the New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders.
 
Dowling excelled as a standout player under London’s tutelage at UVA where he garnered All-America honors in 2010 and earned All-ACC accolades three times. Additionally, he served as a team captain and was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

Dowling lives in Williamsburg with his wife, Leah Dowling, and their two children, Amaria and Ras-I, Jr.