The 25-year coaching legacy of Chuck Bowles in cross-country and track and field will likely never be matched. During his tenure at Willamette, Bowles coached 20 Northwest Conference and 16 NAIA District 2 championship teams, 160 individual conference champs and 50 All-Americans. Five consecutive men's cross-country teams (1978-82) won both the Conference and District titles and the men’s track and field team from 1978-87 won nine of 10 conference crowns.

Bowles came to Willamette after he completed his doctorate from the University of Oregon in 1965. As a professor of physical education, he has taught almost every course in the P.E. and human anatomy majors, in addition to being athletic director from 1973-76. Bowles graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Portland in 1943, and four years later was the recipient of the schools first masters of science degree. He taught and assisted the track program at UP before moving on to  Lake Oswego High School, where he taught chemistry and was head cross-country coach and track and field coach.