At age 47, he reached the Major Leagues as a coach, serving for four seasons with the Twins (1972–1975) as their third base coach, and four more (1981–1984) as the batting coach of the Baltimore Orioles. He was a member of the Orioles' staff during their 1983world championship season. Rowe also served as a roving minor league batting coach for the Twins, Orioles, and, after 1984, the Montreal Expos.
Rowe moved his family to Charlotte, North Carolina, after he played for the baseball Hornets in 1958. While living in Charlotte, he was a player-coach for the Hornets in 1961, and managed the 1969 Hornets to the Double-ASouthern League championship. After returning to his home town of Newberry in 1974, he lived there until his death in 1996 at age 71.