Bobby Bowden To Retire From FSU

Since 1976 Bobby Bowden manned the sidelines for the Florida State Seminoles. That all came to an end on Monday, when it was reported that he would be retiring from the Seminole program that he built into a powerhouse. Bowden, who ranks 2nd all time in Division-1 football with 388 career wins (315 at FSU), led the Seminoles to two National Championships (1993,1999). Bowden went to six BCS Bowls, including three National Championship games, on his way to compile a 20-9-1 bowl record at FSU. The most impressive stat during Bowden’s tenure might be Bowden’s 14-year streak (from 1987-2000), in which the Seminoles finished in the top 5 in the both the Coaches and AP polls. That is an incredible stretch of being a major powerhouse in the NCAA, and shows exactly why Bowden was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

Now all that will be only a memory as FSU decided to move in a different direction for their football program. While Bowden had a chance to come back to the Seminoles, it would be strictly in an emeritus position, with little actual day-to-day power. FSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher will take over as head coach. He had already been named the eventual successor to Bowden and is a big reason why the school was willing to take away coaching duties from a legend.

Whether or not you like Bowden or Florida State, you have to respect him. He created a third Florida powerhouse program to go along with Miami and the University of Florida. The rivalries and matchups of these programs have been some of the best in college football in the last 20 years. Bowden also helped turn the ACC into the powerhouse it is today, by making FSU a perennial contender. Every other school in the ACC had to improve their program to compete with the Seminoles. While its tough to see Bowden “forced out”, I think Florida State did the right thing by making a move now. The Seminoles will have finished out of the top 25 for three of the last four years, and they desperately need a shot of youth injected into their program. I think FSU did the right thing to allow Bowden to make the decision even if they did back him into a corner. They showed a lot of respect for what he has meant to the program, and there is little doubt he will be forever endeared by the Seminoles. College football won’t be the same next season without Bowden on the sidelines for FSU, but it was time. Bowden will have one last act at Florida State in their Bowl game, and with any luck Bowden can leave the program, the way we all remember him; a winner.