In addition to being one of the greatest all-time student-athletes at Barnstable High School from 1969-1972, McDowell went on to earn four varsity letters in basketball at Colby College. Following his playing days at Colby, McDowell went on to become Colby’s assistant men’s basketball coach for seven years, followed by his return to the classroom at BHS. At BHS, McDowell coached both track & field and varsity basketball for seven seasons, highlighted by the 1984-1985 team’s 19-4 run at the state title. It was an experience McDowell was not unused to as he had helped lead the 1970-71 BHS Red Raiders boys varsity hoop squad to its greatest season in school history. In 1970-71, McDowell was a junior and return varsity letterman on the parquet, averaging well over 20 points per game. It was a season never to be forgotten as BHS went on to a 25-1 record, an undefeated regular-season, the Capeway Conference Championship, a Class C State Championship and finished one game shy of the overall Massachusetts State Championship when it fell to Boston English in the Class A season finale at the Boston Garden.
      On the BHS track each spring, McDowell’s presence was always felt as he helped pace Hal Cornforth’s boys. He is deemed as one of the all-time greatest in the triple jump at BHS and played a key role in Coach Cornforth's 32-consecutive home victories and 25 straight victories without a loss on the track. In fact, in the four seasons McDowell ran for BHS in the spring, his teams garnered 4 consecutive Capeway Conference Championships, a State Class C title and the first two victories at the annual D-Y Invitiational Meet in school history.
      McDowell has returned to live on Cape Cod after 11 seasons as the Men’s Varsity Head Basketball Coach at Wesleyan University where he enjoyed a 113-103 record and had a string of seven consecutive winning campaigns and postseason appearances.