Bobby Bowden's Career Milestones

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Dec 2, 2009

Bobby Bowden's Career Milestones

1949

Marries the former Ann Estock.

1959

Named head coach at Samford University in his hometown of Birmingham, Ala. Bowden went 31-6 in four years at his alma mater.

1963

Bowden moves to Tallahassee for the first time as Florida State's receivers coach. One of Bowden's receivers at FSU was a young T.K. Wetherell, FSU's current president. Bowden leaves in 1965 to become offensive coordinator at West Virginia.

1970

Bowden is named head coach at West Virginia. He goes 42-26 in six seasons in Morgantown. He still jokes often about Mountaineers fans hanging him in effigy during a 4-7 season in 1974.

Jan. 12, 1976

Bowden is named head coach at Florida State. He originally intended to coach the Seminoles just long enough to get an offer for a job in his home state of Alabama. "I didn't come to stay," Bowden told the St. Petersburg Times in 2005. The Seminoles went 5-6 in 1976 winning one more game than the program had won in the previous three years combined. That year remains Bowden's only losing season at FSU.

Sept. 29, 1979

Bowden earns his 100th career win as a head coach with a 17-10 victory at Virginia Tech. The Seminoles finish the 1979 season 11-1 after a loss to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. FSU would lose to Oklahoma in the next Orange Bowl before going 13-0-1 in its next 14 bowl games.

Jan. 1, 1988

Bowden closes the 1987 season with a 31-28 Fiesta Bowl win over Nebraska. The Seminoles finish ranked second in the AP poll, beginning a string of 14 consecutive top-five finishes.

Sept. 17, 1988

Bowden runs his signature play -- the puntrooski -- to stun No. 3 Clemson in Death Valley. Stranded deep in FSU territory and tied at 21, Bowden reached into his bag of tricks. He ordered punter Tim Corlew to leap as if the ball had been snapped over his head. In reality, the ball was snapped to upback Dayne Williams. Williams caught the snap and placed the ball on the ground between the legs of fellow upback LeRoy Butler. Williams took off, and the Tigers followed him. With no one looking, Butler scooped the ball and ran 79 yards to the 1-yard line to set up the winning field goal.

Nov. 7, 1992

First-year ACC member FSU beats Maryland, 69-21, to close a perfect conference schedule. Bowden eventually would win 12 ACC titles, including nine in a row from 1992-2000.

Jan. 1, 1994

Bowden and quarterback Charlie Ward lead the Seminoles to an 18-16 win over Nebraska to claim the school's first national championship.

Jan. 4, 2000

A win against Michael Vick-led Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl gives Bowden his second national title. The Seminoles become the first team in history to spend an entire season at No. 1.

Feb. 6, 2001

Bowden strikes a deal with FSU president Sandy D'Alemberte to allow him to skirt the university's anti-nepotism rule and hire his son, Jeff, as the Seminoles' offensive coordinator. During Jeff's five-year tenure as FSU's offensive coordinator, the Seminoles went from one of the nation's best offenses to one of the ACC's worst. When Bowden refused to fire his son, FSU boosters raised more than $500,000 to buy Jeff out. Jeff was still being paid by FSU this year when he served as a volunteer coach on brother Terry's staff at North Alabama.

Dec. 3, 2005

A 27-22 win over Virginia Tech in the inaugural ACC title game gives Bowden his final conference title.

Dec. 10, 2007

Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher is named as Bowden's successor. As part of the deal, Fisher will receive $5 million if he is not FSU's head coach by January 2011.

March 7, 2009

In the wake of an academic fraud scandal, the NCAA orders FSU to vacate 14 wins between 2006 and 2007. Losing the wins would make it impossible for Bowden to catch Penn State's Joe Paterno for the all-time Division I-A wins record.

Dec. 1, 2009

Three days after a 37-10 loss at Florida, Bowden announces his retirement. He finishes with a career record of 388-129-4 and 315-97-4 in 34 seasons at FSU.