Honoring the legendary Florida State icon whose faith and discipline forged a Tallahassee dynasty, producing two national championships, two Heisman winners, and a prolific college coaching tree.
He was a man with deep roots in his faith, respected among his peers throughout college football, and displayed a love for his players.
The Florida State teams under his tutelage were disciplined, talented, and feared, and he coached his players with honesty and class. Saturday marked the fifth anniversary of the passing of Florida State coaching legend Bobby Bowden at the age of 91.
As a high school star, Bowden first accepted a scholarship to Alabama, then later transferred to Howard College. Howard was later renamed Samford University. At Samford, Bowden was a three-sport star, as well quarterback and captain of the football team. Bowden went on to earn “Little All-American” honors.
After head-coaching stints at both Howard College and West Virginia, coach Bowden took over the Florida State football program way back in 1976. Within a decade, according to a designation by the NCAA, Bowden had built a dynasty in Tallahassee from 1987-2000.
Over that time, Bowden coached the Seminoles to 10 or more wins and 14 consecutive top five finishes.
In that 2000 season, the Seminoles were the preseason No. 1 team and finished undefeated at 12-0 to win the BCS National Championship, going wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team.
A six-time National Coach of the Year, Florida State won 12 ACC titles and two national championships in 1993 and 1999 under Bowden. He coached 153 All-Americans, with 25 of those earning Consensus status.
Among those named as Consensus All-Americans included Ron Simmons, Deion Sanders, Charlie Ward and Derrick Brooks. Bowden also coached two Heisman Trophy winners as well: Ward, and quarterback Chris Weinke.
The culture of dominant, winning football and player development established under Bowden resulted in 177 of his players being drafted into the NFL. He also coached Myron Rolle, who bypassed playing in the NFL to become a Rhodes Scholar.
Coach Bowden’s impact on others in the coaching profession is evident in his coaching tree, which includes Mark Richt (head coach at Georgia and Miami), Kirby Smart (assistant coach at Alabama, current head coach at Georgia) and Manny Diaz (head coach at Miami and of the 2025 ACC champions, the Duke Blue Devils).
Jimbo Fisher, a head coach in waiting as offensive coordinator on Bowden’s staff, took over as head coach of Florida State upon Bowden’s retirement at the conclusion of the 2009 season, a 7-6 campaign that ended with a win in the Gator Bowl. Fisher posted an 83-23 (.783) record at Florida State, winning the 2013 BCS National Championship.
Coach Bowden led one of the most dominant programs in college football out of the tunnel at Doak Campbell Stadium every Saturday for over three decades. The Seminoles, under Bowden, were a model of consistency that other football programs wanted to emulate.
Under current coach Mike Norvell, the Seminoles are 38-34, and have lost 17 of their last 24 games. So, the spirit of coach Bowden looms large over the Florida State program. The desire to get back to the Bowden’s legacy of dominant, winning football is palpable. Coach Bowden’s career win total of 346 (adjusted by the NCAA) is second all-time in college football history.
Bowden’s Seminole teams left their opponents bloodied and battered, lying defeated on gridirons across this great country. The legacy of success that coach Bowden left behind at Florida State may never be matched.
