Francis Bowe named new Archbishop Carroll boys' basketball coach

Born in Conshohocken and raised in Phoenixville, Francis Bowe grew to admire the Catholic League's elite boys' basketball teams and top players. Now, he is in charge of one of its perennial powers.

Archbishop Carroll announced Bowe as its new head coach on Friday.

"This is a dream opportunity for me. It really is," the 33-year-old said. "I look forward to building on the success they've had here. I know I have big shoes to fill in replacing Paul Romanczuk."

Romanczuk, a standout forward at Carroll (class of 1995) and Penn, resigned for personal reasons last month. He guided the Patriots for 15 seasons, winning 20 or more games in each of the last 10 seasons.

Bowe coached at Valley Forge Military Academy the last five seasons. The Trojans went 24-6 overall last year, won the PIAA District 1-11 Class 3A subregional tournament and advanced to the second round of the state playoffs.

"We are thrilled to have Francis become a part of our Carroll family," Carroll athletic director Tom Quintois said in a statement. "He brings a wealth of experience, enthusiasm, and a strong basketball pedigree to our basketball program."

Bowe, of Langhorne, is a history teacher at Abington Junior High. He previously was the head coach at Upper Merion for five seasons and an assistant at Radnor for two.