He has also been an offensive coordinator at the University of Southern California, North Carolina State University, and Brigham Young University. Chow won the 2002 Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach and was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year in 1999 by the American Football Foundation. He is known for developing quarterbacks such as Jim McMahon, Steve Young, Ty Detmer, Phillip Rivers, Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart.

Chow, a native of Honolulu, Hawaii and an alumnus of Punahou School, played college football for the University of Utah. Chow was an 2-year starter and a 3-year letterman offensive guard for the Utes. In his senior season, Chow was named to the All-WAC first team and gained All-American honorable mention honors. He then played briefly in the Canadian Football League, for the Saskatchewan Roughridgers, before an injury ended his professional athletic career.

Chow left USC in spring 2005, after helping it to its second consecutive national championship. He was widely considered the favorite for the head coach position at Stanford University. However, he was passed over in favor of Walt Harris, and subsequently joined the Titans under head coach Jeff Fisher, a USC graduate. Chow would have been the only Asian-American head coach in college football.

Although he resides in Nashville most of the year, Chow maintains his permanent residence in Manhattan Beach, California, and his sons still attend USC. Chow and his wife, Diane, have four children. Carter (32), Maile (30), Cameron (25) and Chandler (20).