Posted this on social media, which I never do, but today just hit too close to home with the loss of Bobby Bowden. Many of my earliest childhood memories revolve around FSU football and Coach Bowden. I also had the pleasure of working for the FSU athletics department during Bowden’s last few seasons. I can confidently say that no one else has ever made a bigger impact on my hometown of Tallahassee or my alma mater Florida State University. For as an amazing a coach as he was, Bobby was an even more special person. He was a welcoming, humble, witty, funny, authentic, moral, and spiritual person that was a tremendous role model and father figure to thousands of people. While Nick Saban has the most titles, he took over a sleeping giant that was prime for winning. Bobby literally built FSU brick by brick from essentially nothing. FSU’s program was less than 3 decades old and had won a combined 4 games the three years leading up to Bowden’s hire in 1976. Decades later, Bobby had built FSU into the top program in the country. Doak Campbell Stadium now stands as the largest brick structure in the world as a testament to what he built.
Here are some of Coach Bowden’s biggest career accomplishments among way too many to list.
389 wins and two National Titles
NCAA record 14 straight Top 5 finishes.
NCAA record 14 straight 10+ win seasons.
NCAA record 14 straight bowl games without a loss
NCAA record winning percentage for a decade
NCAA record for wins in a decade (109-13-1) in 1990's
5 National Title appearances in 8 years (93, 96, 98, 99, 00)
152-19 record from 1987-2000
10 years without a loss at home
12 ACC Titles in first 14 seasons
9 ACC titles in first 9 seasons.
Coached the only team to be AP wire to wire #1 in NCAA history
1993 team is the only school to ever finish #1 in both scoring offense and defense
Spent 58 weeks at #1 during the 90's
90's ESPN Sports Team of the Decade (2000 ESPY's)
NCAA proclaimed FSU to be one of the only eight official dynasties in the 130 year history of college football.
Coached three eventual NFL Man of the Year recipients, more than anyone.
Coach Bowden did it as well as anyone ever in the Sport of football and in the game of life. RIP Coach, you will be dearly missed.
Here are some of Coach Bowden’s biggest career accomplishments among way too many to list.
389 wins and two National Titles
NCAA record 14 straight Top 5 finishes.
NCAA record 14 straight 10+ win seasons.
NCAA record 14 straight bowl games without a loss
NCAA record winning percentage for a decade
NCAA record for wins in a decade (109-13-1) in 1990's
5 National Title appearances in 8 years (93, 96, 98, 99, 00)
152-19 record from 1987-2000
10 years without a loss at home
12 ACC Titles in first 14 seasons
9 ACC titles in first 9 seasons.
Coached the only team to be AP wire to wire #1 in NCAA history
1993 team is the only school to ever finish #1 in both scoring offense and defense
Spent 58 weeks at #1 during the 90's
90's ESPN Sports Team of the Decade (2000 ESPY's)
NCAA proclaimed FSU to be one of the only eight official dynasties in the 130 year history of college football.
Coached three eventual NFL Man of the Year recipients, more than anyone.
Coach Bowden did it as well as anyone ever in the Sport of football and in the game of life. RIP Coach, you will be dearly missed.
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