Bobby Bowden

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Bobby Bowden, 2006

Robert Cleckler Bowden (*  8. November 1929 in Birmingham , Alabama , †  8. August 2021 in Tallahassee , Florida ) was an American coach in the field of college football . He served as the head coach of the Florida State Seminoles of Florida State University from 1976 to 2010 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006. With two national championship titles , twelve championships of the Atlantic Coast Conference, 22 wins in bowl games and a total of 389 games won, he is one of the most successful coaches in the history of college football.

Life

Bobby Bowden was in 1929 in Birmingham, Alabama born and began his coaching career after 1948 for the Alabama Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama and from 1949 to 1952 for the Howard College (now Samford University) as a quarterback and running back had played.

His first stations as a coach were Howard College (1954/1955 and 1959–1962) and South Georgia College (1956–1958). From 1963 to 1965 he trained for the Florida State Seminoles of Florida State University , the wide receiver . He then moved from 1966 to 1975 to West Virginia University , where he initially supervised the offensive team for the West Virginia Mountaineers and served as head coach from 1970. In 1976 he took over the position of head coach at the Florida State Seminoles . At the age of 80, he announced his retirement from this role after the 2009/2010 season and the Gator Bowl on January 1, 2010 between Florida State University and West Virginia University.

Bobby Bowden had been married since 1949 and had six children. Three of his sons also coached college football, including Jeff Bowden on his father's coaching staff as the offensive coordinator for the Florida State Seminoles . He has written several books about his experience as a trainer.

Sporting successes and awards

Bobby Bowden is one of the most successful coaches in the history of college football and won in his 34 years as head coach of the Florida State Seminoles , including only one season with a negative overall record, two national championships in 1993 and 1999 and twelve times between 1992 and 2005 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship . In addition, the team reached under his leadership from 1987 to 2000 a total of 14 seasons in a row with a placement among the top five teams nationwide. Two Florida State University players, Charlie Ward (1993) and Chris Weinke (2000), received the National Collegiate Athletic Association 's Heisman Trophy for Most Outstanding Player of the Year during his tenure .

His total record of 389 wins in 129 defeats and four draws as well as 22 bowl games won in 33 appearances is only surpassed by Joe Paterno . Of these, however, the team was subsequently deprived of twelve season victories and one bowl game won in 2006 and 2007 due to the use of unauthorized players. Bobby Bowden is one of only three coaches in college football history with more than 500 games. On December 5, 2006, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame . The football field at the home stadium of Florida State Seminoles has been named Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium since 2004. In 2011 he received the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award, named after Amos Alonzo Stagg , from the American Football Coaches Association .

Works (selection)

  • Winning's Only Part of the Game: Lessons of Life and Football. New York 1996
  • The Bowden Way: 50 Years of Leadership Wisdom. Atlanta 2001
  • Bobby Bowden's Tales from the Seminole Sideline. Champaign 2004

literature

  • Bowden, Robert Cleckler. In: Edward J. Rielly: Football: An Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln 2009, ISBN 0-80-329012-8 , pp. 36/37
  • Bobby Bowden - Southern Fried Winner. In: Christian Klemash: How to Succeed in the Game of Life: 34 Interviews with the World's Greatest Coaches. Andrews McMeel Publishing, Kansas City 2006, ISBN 0-74-076065-3 , pp. 229-231

Further publications

  • Ray G. Schneider, Paul M. Pederson, Ross Obley: Bobby Bowden: Win by Win. Arcadia Publishing, Charleston 2003, ISBN 0-73-851544-2

Web links

Commons : Bobby Bowden  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jim Henry: Bobby Bowden dies: Legendary coach built Florida State into college football powerhouse. Retrieved August 8, 2021 (American English).
personal data
SURNAME Bowden, Bobby
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bowden, Robert Cleckler (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American coach in college football
BIRTH DATE November 8, 1929
PLACE OF BIRTH Birmingham , Alabama , United States
DATE OF DEATH August 8, 2021
PLACE OF DEATH Tallahassee , Florida , United States