Bobby Bowden

College coach infobox
Name = Bobby Bowden


DateOfBirth = birth date and age|1929|11|8
Birthplace = flagicon|USA Birmingham, Alabama
DateOfDeath =
Sport = Football
College = Florida State
Title = Head coach
CurrentRecord = 301-88-4
OverallRecord = 377-120-4 (Second all time)
BowlRecord = 20-10-1 (Second all time)
Awards =
Championships = Two National Championships,
"(1993, 1999)"
12 Conference Championships
"(1992-2000, 2002, 2003, 2005)"
CFbDWID =
| Player = Y
Years = 1946-1948
Team = University of Alabama
Position = QB
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1954-55
1956-58
1959-62
1963-65
1966-69
1970-75
1976-Present
CoachTeams = Howard College(OC)
South Georgia College
Howard College
Florida State University(WR)
West Virginia(OC)
West Virginia
Florida State
FootballHOF = 2006

Robert Cleckler Bowden (born November 8, 1929 in Birmingham, Alabama), better known as "Bobby Bowden", is the current head college football coach of the Florida State University Seminoles. Since taking the position in 1976, Bowden has led FSU to an Associated Press and Coaches Poll National Title in 1993 and a BCS National Championship National Title in 1999, as well as twelve Atlantic Coast Conference championships since FSU joined the conference in 1991.

Bowden is one win behind Joe Paterno at 377 career wins as the all-time winningest Division I-FBS coach by total victories. [http://www.ncaa.org/library/records/football/football_records_book/2007/2007_d1_football_records_book.pdf NCAA 2007 Football Records, pg 378] [web|url=http://seminoles.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/bowden_bobby01.html|title=Bobby Bowden profile|publisher=seminoles.com] Bowden, along with Joe Paterno,Chris Ault, and John Gagliardi, is one of four active coaches who have also been inducted in to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Youth and family life

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Bowden spent a portion of his childhood in bed, sick. When he was 13 years old, Bowden was diagnosed with rheumatic fever. After a six month hospital stay, Bowden was confined to his bed at home for just over a year with nothing more than his imagination to pass the time. It was listening to World War II reports on the radio that began Bowden's interest in the war, an interest he still has to this day. It was also around this time that his love for football increased, as he would listen to University of Alabama football on Saturday mornings.

Bowden was an outstanding football player at Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, and went on to the University of Alabama as a quarterback, fulfilling a lifelong dream to play for the Crimson Tide before returning to Birmingham and marrying his high school sweetheart Ann Estock on April 1, 1949 (today, the couple have six children and 21 grandchildren). Bobby transferred to Howard College (now Samford University), where he was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Bowden graduated from Howard in 1953.

Early coaching career

Bowden served as an assistant football coach and head track and field coach at Howard College from 1954–1955. He left his alma mater to become Athletic Director as well as head football, baseball, and basketball coach at South Georgia College from 1956 to 1958. Bowden then returned to Howard as head coach, where he compiled a 31-6 record between 1959 and 1962. In 1962, Bowden went to Florida State University as an assistant coach under Head Coach Bill Peterson. Two other coaching legends who worked under Coach Peterson during this time were Bill Parcells and Joe Gibbs. Bowden left Florida State in 1965 to go to West Virginia University as assistant coach. When the head coach at West Virginia left before the 1970 season, Bowden replaced him. Bowden then compiled a 42-26 record at WVU before returning to FSU as head coach in 1976.

Florida State

At Florida State, Bowden inherited a team that had won just four games over the previous three seasons. In his 31 years as the head coach at Florida State, he has had only one losing season, his first in 1976; and has compiled a 300-84-4 record. He is the only coach in Division I-A football history to have enjoyed 14 straight seasons of 10 or more wins. His Florida State Seminoles finished an unprecedented 14 straight seasons in the top 5 of the Associated Press College Football Poll, and won the College Football National Championship in 1993 and 1999.

Nicknamed "The Riverboat Gambler" for his creative trick plays, he's notorious for his southern drawl, with statements like, "Dadgummit" topping the list. His charisma and memorable [http://thinkexist.com/quotes/bobby_bowden/ quotes] have been enjoyed by college football fans for years. One of Bowden's greatest coaching achievements revolves around his success in bowl games. His 20-10-1 record ranks second all-time. Only Joe Paterno (23), against whom Bowden has lost 7 of 8 total games, has won more bowl games.

Bowden's heralded success notwithstanding, his teams in recent years have lost to schools which FSU traditionally beat easily, including losses to unranked Clemson and Wake Forest during the 2007 season. His conference record over the past three seasons is a modest 12-12 (after a total of 8 conference losses over the previous 13 years) and his winning percentage over the past two seasons is .538 compared to a career winning percentage of .771. FSU has also finished the last two seasons unranked in the final polls.

The National Bobby Bowden Award

In 2004, The Fellowship of Christian Athletes presented the first of what is now a yearly award in Bowden's name, The National Bobby Bowden Award, honoring one college football player for his achievements on the field, in the classroom and in the community. The award is presented each year prior to the Bowl Championship Series' national title game.

Bobby Bowden Field

In November 2004, by an act of the 2000 session of the Legislature of the State of Florida, Florida State renamed the field at Doak Campbell Stadium as Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, erected a bronze statue of his likeness, and unveiled a three story stained-glass window in his honor. Bobby Bowden Field was officially dedicated on November 20, 2004 before the annual game with arch rival the University of Florida. The University of Florida beat Florida State.

The Bowden Bowl

Bobby is not the only member of his family to coach Division I-A football. His son Tommy Bowden is the head coach at Clemson University; another son, Terry Bowden, was the head coach at Auburn University where he was the 1993 Coach of the Year; and a third son, Jeff Bowden, was the offensive coordinator at Florida State. All three Bowden men who were head coaches have achieved an undefeated season: Terry in 1993 at Auburn; Tommy in 1998 at Tulane; and Bobby in 1999 at Florida State. Bobby's 1999 Florida State team was the only one to win a National Championship, however. As both Florida State and Clemson are in the same division of the Atlantic Coast Conference for football, the two teams play every year in a game that has become known as "The Bowden Bowl". Their first meeting, in 1999, was the first time in Division I-A history that a father and a son met as opposing head coaches in a football game. As of September 3, 2007, Bobby holds the edge in the series, leading 5-4 with all four losses within the last five seasons. Tommy's four wins in the series remain the only times the son has ever beaten the father when facing off as head coach in any of America's four major sports.Fact|date=August 2007

One Bowden Bowl was scheduled between Auburn and Florida State for 1999 when Terry Bowden was the coach at Auburn. However, Terry's midseason resignation in 1998 ended the possibility of a Bowden Bowl. Auburn later used the buyout clause in the contract to get out of this matchup.

Head coaching records

CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1959
name = Howard
overall = 9-1-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1960
name = Howard
overall = 8-1-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1961
name = Howard
overall = 7-2-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1962
name = Howard
overall = 7-2-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1970
name = West Virginia
overall = 8-3-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1971
name = West Virginia
overall = 7-4-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1972
name = West Virginia
overall = 8-4-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Peach
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1973
name = West Virginia
overall = 6-5-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1974
name = West Virginia
overall = 4-7-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1975
name = West Virginia
overall = 9-3-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Peach
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 20
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1976
name = Florida State
overall = 5-6-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1977
name = Florida State
overall = 10-2-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Tangerine
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 10
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1978
name = Florida State
overall = 8-3-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1979
name = Florida State
overall = 11-1-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Orange
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking = 6
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1980
name = Florida State
overall = 10-2-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Orange
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking = 5
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1981
name = Florida State
overall = 6-5-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1982
name = Florida State
overall = 9-3-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Gator
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 13
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1983
name = Florida State
overall = 8-4-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Peach
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1984
name = Florida State
overall = 7-3-2
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Citrus
bowloutcome = Tie
bcsbowl =
ranking = 17
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1985
name = Florida State
overall = 9-3-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowl =
bowlname = Gator
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 15
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1986
name = Florida State
overall = 7-4-1
conference =
confstanding =
bowl =
bowlname = All-American
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1987
name = Florida State
overall = 11-1-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Fiesta
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 2
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1988
name = Florida State
overall = 11-1-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Sugar
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 3
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1989
name = Florida State
overall = 10-2-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Fiesta
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 3
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1990
name = Florida State
overall = 10-2-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Blockbuster
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 4
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1991
name = Florida State
overall = 11-2-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname = Cotton
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 4
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1992
name = Florida State
overall = 11-1-0
conference = 8-0
confstanding = 1
bowlname = Orange
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 2
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = national
year = 1993
name = Florida State
overall = 12-1-0
conference = 8-0
confstanding = 1
bowlname = Orange
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 1
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1994
name = Florida State
overall = 10-1-1
conference = 8-0
confstanding = 1
bowlname = Sugar
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 4
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1995
name = Florida State
overall = 10-2-0
conference = 7-1
confstanding = 1 "(t)"
bowlname = Orange
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 4
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1996
name = Florida State
overall = 11-1-0
conference = 8-0
confstanding = 1
bowlname = Sugar
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking = 3
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1997
name = Florida State
overall = 11-1-0
conference = 8-0
confstanding = 1
bowlname = Sugar
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 3
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1998
name = Florida State
overall = 11-2-0
conference = 7-1
confstanding = 1 "(t)"
bowlname = Fiesta
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl = yes
ranking = 3
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = national
year = 1999
name = Florida State
overall = 12-0-0
conference = 8-0
confstanding = 1
bowlname = Sugar
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl = yes
ranking = 1
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 2000
name = Florida State
overall = 11-2-0
conference = 8-0
confstanding = 1
bowlname = Orange
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl = yes
ranking = 5
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2001
name = Florida State
overall = 8-4-0
conference = 6-2
confstanding = 2
bowlname = Gator
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 15
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 2002
name = Florida State
overall = 9-5-0
conference = 7-1
confstanding = 1
bowlname = Sugar
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl = yes
ranking = 21
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 2003
name = Florida State
overall = 10-3-0
conference = 7-1
confstanding = 1
bowlname = Orange
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl = yes
ranking = 11
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2004
name = Florida State
overall = 9-3-0
conference = 6-2
confstanding = 2
bowlname = Gator
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 15
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 2005
name = Florida State
overall = 8-5-0
conference = 5-3
confstanding = 1 - Atlantic
bowlname = Orange
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl = yes
ranking = 22
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2006
name = Florida State
overall = 7-6-0
conference = 3-5
confstanding = 5 - Atlantic
bowlname = Emerald
bowloutcome = w
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2007
name = Florida State
overall = 7-6-0
conference = 4-4
confstanding = 4 - Atlantic
bowlname = Music City
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = noCFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2008
name = Florida State
overall = 4-1-0
conference = 1-1
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = no

Author

Bowden has co-authored several books, including:
*"Winning's Only Part of the Game : Lessons of Life and Football" (1996)
**ISBN 0-446-52050-0
*"The Bowden Way : 50 Years of Leadership Wisdom" (2001)
**ISBN 1-56352-684-0
*"Bobby Bowden: Win by Win" (2003)
**ISBN 0-7385-1544-2
*"Bobby Bowden's Tales from the Seminole Sideline" (2004)
**ISBN 1-58261-406-7

References

*cite web|url=http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/acc/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/06guide093123.pdf|title=ACC Standings|work=2006 ACC Football Media Guide|publisher=Atlantic Coast Conference|accessdate=2007-01-10|type=pdf
*cite web|url=http://www.fansonly.com/photos/schools/fsu/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/6Coaches23-38.pdf|title=Florida State University Coaching Staff|work=2006 Florida State Football Media Guide|publisher=Florida State University Athletics|accessdate=2007-01-10|type=pdf
*cite web|url=http://www.fansonly.com/photos/schools/fsu/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/16Records2173-208.pdf|title=Florida State University Year-By-Year Record|work=2006 Florida State Football Media Guide|publisher=Florida State University Athletics|accessdate=2007-01-10|type=pdf
*cite web|url=http://www.msnsportsnet.com/content/Football-9.pdf|title=West Virginia University Coaching History|work=2006 West Virginia Football Media Guide|publisher=West Virginia University Athletics|accessdate=2007-01-10|type=pdf

Notes

ee also

* List of Florida State University head football coaches
* List of College Football Hall of Fame inductees (coaches)

External links

* [http://seminoles.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/bowden_bobby01.html Bowden's bio from the official Florida State athletic's website]
* [http://www.floridamemory.com/PhotographicCollection/VideoFilm2/video.cfm?VID=5 Video clip from 1977] Bobby Bowden comments on his first season as head coach of Florida State University's football program.