Los Angeles Chargers linebackers coach Navorro Bowman is leaving the NFL to help navigate his son and namesake’s budding basketball career.
Navorro Bowman Jr. is a junior at Sherman Oaks, California‘s Notre Dame High School, where he ranks among the top 100 college basketball prospects in the country, according to 247sports.com. The website reports he’s received scholarship offers from top programs across the country, including Villanova, California, Washington and two nearby schools, UCLA and USC.
The elder Bowman’s decision was revealed Thursday by Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz, who said the former NFL linebacker wanted to spend more time with his family.
Finances likely weren’t much of a consideration for the Bowman family, given the patriarch earned more than $44 million across seven seasons playing for the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders.
And while Chargers fans were understandably upset to be losing a 37-year coach who was part of a strong defensive unit in 2025, many were sympathetic. As one wrote on X: ‘Understandable and can respect it.’
On the other hand, there is the possibility that the father’s presence could be a net negative for the son, who could grow uneasy with the added attention and pressure. It’s a distinct possibility that Bowman Sr. has considered.
Navorro Bowman is leaving the NFL to help navigate his son’s budding basketball career.
Navorro Bowman Jr. and Sr. will be spending much more time together in the near future
‘I think If anything, I make him more nervous than anything that’s going on because of what we’ve held ourselves to,’ the elder Bowman told sports journalist Diamond Leung in December.
There may be a trend of parents quitting jobs to focus on their children’s athletic futures, although it’s difficult to quantify. Some have blogged about the travel demands as a major factor, which is certainly something that applies to the Bowmans.
Even without traffic, the father had to drive at least an hour from the Chargers’ practice facility in El Segundo to his son’s games in Orange County, and LA freeway congestion only exacerbated matters.
But for the elder Bowman, the chance to offer his son guidance and perspective is simply too important to pass.
‘I was never a No. 1 anything,’ he told Leung as if he were speaking to his son. ‘I was an underdog. So having that mentality of whether people are patting you on the back or not, I want you to always recognize your weaknesses and always try to get better and never get complacent.
‘A lot of people are going to tell you you’re good, but I’m your dad and I’m going to see something that I know we talked about, something that you should be doing. If I see a weakness, that’s what we’re going to get better at and focus on. And that’s why he’s able to play at the level he’s playing no matter who’s on the court.’
The younger Bowman appears to have taken the lessons to heart.
Recently, while making his national television debut on ESPN 2, Bowman Jr. dropped 36 points against Sierra Canyon, where LeBron James’ son and Lakers teammate, Bronny, played just a a few years ago.
The 6-foot-4 combo guard is expected to make his college decision in the coming weeks and months.
His father could always return to coaching after Bowman Jr. is enrolled, but Dad also has two daughters, Stoni and Cali, with wife Mikala, so there might be more mentoring to do.