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Bobby Bowden announces retirement after 34 season. |
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Written by Paul Sulzbacher
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Tuesday, 01 December 2009 |
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Florida State University Head Football Coach Bobby Bowden announced Tuesday that he will be retiring after the Seminoles upcoming bowl game. Coach Bowden, who will have 34 seasons completed, will coach Florida State in the bowl game and will finish his career as one of the winningest coaches in the history of major college football.
"The bowl game will be my last game as head football coach at Florida State," said Bowden. "It's been a great 34 seasons.
"I'd like to thank my wife Ann and my family for their love and support. There were a lot of nights when I was on the road and not at home at the dinner table. We all know that's part of it.
"I'd also like to thank the coaches and their families who helped build the program into something that is special. You can't have a successful program without players and we have been blessed to have young men who are winners both on and off the field. I want to thank them and their families for committing 4-5 years of their lives to me and to FSU.
"Finally, I'd like to thank the University and FSU fans who have supported the Florida State program. We've got one more game and I look forward to enjoying these next few weeks as the head football coach." Bowden has been named National Coach of the Year six times (1979, 1980, 1991, 1992, 1996, and 1999), and he was also presented an award presented by the Fellowship Christian Athletes that now bears his name. Bowden led the Seminoles to two national championships in 1993 and 1999, the latter being the first ever wire-to-wire finish, along with 12 ACC Championships 14 straight seasons among the Associated Press' Top Five, two Heisman Trophy winners and a Rhodes Scholar. Bowden has also been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. FSU President T.K Wetherell added his own tribute to Bowden, and in it he said: "Bobby Bowden has served as our head football coach and inspirational `friend-raiser' for more than 30 years. He led our football program to unprecedented success and established it among the nation's elite for many years. He set records of achievement on the field that will probably never be equaled.
"Bobby Bowden contributed in many ways to the overall success and advancement of a young and growing university, and the entire Bowden family is also a major part of this success story.
"I played for Bobby Bowden 45 years ago, when I was a young man, and he was an assistant coach under Bill Peterson.
"The bond between player and coach is strong enough, but our relationship forged even more powerful bonds as we worked hard for the university's advancement. With me and other presidents, Bobby Bowden helped raise public and private dollars to build some of the most impressive athletics facilities in the nation and to bring additional recognition to Florida State's academic achievements.
"Millions of Americans could see the good work and academic contributions of our university through the window of national television --a window that winning football teams provide for their institutions.
"Bobby Bowden, in many ways, became the face of Florida State. It was his sterling personality and character that personified this university. And because his influence was so powerful, we were able to advance far beyond what many of us ever dreamed."
Coach Bowden's career at Florida State begain when he took over a Seminole program in 1976 that had won just four games combined over the previous three seasons. Four seasons after leaving West Virginia to come to FSU, he had the 'Noles within one game of a national championship with an 11-1 record in 1979. Despite offers from NFL teams and several other major college football programs, Bowden remained loyal to Florida State. Bowden's record at Florida State, which includes the 2009 season is 306-93-4. Many of those wins came against tough opponents, earning respect for his team, attracting many top players to the program. Bowden's tenure at Florida State, as mention has lasted 34 seasons, which during that time there have been seven different presidents of the United States, and four popes. About Bobby Bowden (From Seminoles.com) Born : November 8, 1929 in Birmingham, Ala.
High School : Woodlawn High, Birmingham, Ala.
College : Howard (now Samford) 1953
Collegiate Football Experience : University of Alabama (QB), freshman;
Howard (QB), sophomore-senior
Graduate Degree : Peabody College
Wife : The former Julia Ann Estock
Children : Robyn, Steve, Tommy, Terry, Ginger, Jeff
HEAD COACHING HONORS
1977 Southern Independent Coach of the Year
1979 National Coach of the Year (ABC-Chevrolet)
1979 Southern Independent Coach of the Year
1980 National Coach of the Year (Bobby Dodd)
1983 Inducted - Florida Sports Hall of Fame
1986 Inducted - Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
1987 Region II Coach of the Year
1991 National Coach of the Year (Walter Camp)
1992 Neyland Trophy Winner
1993 ACC Coach of the Year
1996 National Coach of the Year (Home Depot)
1997 ACC Coach of the Year
1999 National Coach of the Year (Home Depot)
1999 National Coach of the Decade Finalist (Home Depot)
1999 ESPN College Team of the Decade (any sport)
2006 Inducted - National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame
2008 NCFAA Contributions to College Football Award
COACHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Second winningest coach in major college football history with 388 career coaching victories
• The only coach in the history of Division I-A football to compile 14 straight 10-win seasons (1987-2000)
• Coached the Seminoles to consensus National Championships in 1993 and 1999
• His 1999 National Championship team is the first in college football history to go wire-to-wire as the Associated Press' No. 1 ranked team
• Set NCAA records with 11 consecutive bowl victories (1985-95) and 14 straight bowl trips without a loss (1982-95)
• Ranks first among active coaches for winning percentage in bowl games and has led the Seminoles to 27 straight bowl games - the longest current streak in the nation
• Has guided FSU to 30 bowl appearances in 33 seasons, including 27 straight
• Since 1993, Florida State has played in the national championship game five times (1993 Orange vs. Nebraska, 1996 Sugar vs. Florida, 1998 Fiesta vs. Tennessee, 1999 Sugar vs. Virginia Tech, and 2000 Orange vs. Oklahoma)
• Since the inception of the BCS in 1998, FSU has reached one of the BCS bowl games six times
• Patriarch of the first father-son duo to lead Division I-A programs, let alone to lead them at the same time
• National Citizenship Award (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) named after Bobby Bowden in 2004
COACHING STOPS
1954-55 Assistant Football Coach/Head Track Coach at Howard (now Samford)
1956-58 Head Football Coach and Athletic Director at South Georgia Junior College
1959-62 Head Football Coach at Samford College
1963-65 Assistant Coach (Receivers) at Florida State
1966-69 Offensive Coordinator at West Virginia
1970-75 Head Coach at West Virginia
1976- Head Coach at Florida State |
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