Bowden will announce retirement tomorrow, ESPN reports.

I'm waiting to see what he says, but as an FSU alum have very mixed feelings about this.  Coach Bowden put FSU on the map when we were a crap football team, and his recruiting can not be questioned, he was a masterful salesman.

Over the last 10 years the athletic parity between teams forced coaches to adjust and call better games and unfortunately I think Bowden's staff failed to adjust to the realities and we began our slide. The years of "Son of Bobby" as our OC wasted the final years of our dominant defense, and now our defensive staff is going to be blown-up and we need to recruit better players in order to rebuild on that side of the ball.

Either way I do not think FSU will suddenly be competitive again, but we shall see if Jimbo is around long enough to make this happen or if he will jump to a larger program (Michigan) when given the chance.

[Feel Real Good]

FSU is hardly a top 20 program anymore, much less a top 5, OBF. I dunno where you get that from.

They have a state full of talent. They have players in that state that want to play there. They have a good fan base and what I understand good facilities. They play in a conference they can dominate.

1)Florida/USC
2) Texas
3) ?


You could turn FSU around very fast

Top 5... as in places to coach.

If all you have to be is in a state full of talent UCLA and Texas A&M would be great jobs. It can easily be argued that being the top dog in a second tier talent state like UGA, Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, and Oklahoma, is better than being second fiddle to an undisputed hegemon in a first tier talent state behind UF, Texas, and USC.

[John Galt?]

FSU is a little too slow to react. Fisher has shown SOME improvement, but not nearly enough IMO. He needs to show some major improvement in the next year or get Zooked. Given the location (recruits like sunny & mild over snowy/dreary), the local talent pool, and their reputation and exposure, there is no reason for FSU to not be a top 15 ranked team every year. Jimbo's leash needs to be verrrry short.

Per Nolesports it is official, Bowden's last game will be in the Gator Bowl on Jan 1.  Gator bowl officials stepped-up and said if Bowden would coach one more game they would extend an invitation to the team.  I think going out on a Jan 1 Bowl Game is pretty cool, maybe they might even win! I can hope.

Jimbo will have a few years but at least he can hire his own defensive staff as Mickey Andrews (DC) is also retiring this season.  Too bad he went out with the worst defense he ever coached.  I am still scratching my head over how bad they got over the last few years.

[olafberserker]

Gator Bowl against West Virginia is what I read.  The place and opponent of Bowden's first bowl victory as the Seminole coach and of course his former team the Mountaineers

Poetic in many ways, they will play this into all kinds of publicity and it will be an easy sellout.  Only negative is the coach will likely overshadow the game.

[Fitz66]

Gator Bowl against West Virginia is what I read.  The place and opponent of Bowden's first bowl victory as the Seminole coach and of course his former team the Mountaineers

That'd be a full circle for him, in a ways.

I'd love to send him into retirement with an arse kicking

[NavyBuc19]

Gator Bowl against West Virginia is what I read.  The place and opponent of Bowden's first bowl victory as the Seminole coach and of course his former team the Mountaineers

That'd be a full circle for him, in a ways.

I'd love to send him into retirement with an arse kicking

Doubt it. Bobby Bowden knows how to win Bowl games.

You would think the players would be incrediblyfired-up to send him out a winner...hope that trumps the marshmallow defense

[GatorBuc85]

His time is over. I would hate if a coach was doing that to Florida.

[Fitz66]

Gator Bowl against West Virginia is what I read.� The place and opponent of Bowden's first bowl victory as the Seminole coach and of course his former team the Mountaineers

That'd be a full circle for him, in a ways.

I'd love to send him into retirement with an arse kicking

Doubt it. Bobby Bowden knows how to win Bowl games.

You doubt it?  On this team? 

Thats with the assumption that Bobby (doesnt even wear head phones during the games anymore) is even calling the shots at the game. 

[oregonbucfan]

FSU is hardly a top 20 program anymore, much less a top 5, OBF. I dunno where you get that from.

They have a state full of talent. They have players in that state that want to play there. They have a good fan base and what I understand good facilities. They play in a conference they can dominate.

1)Florida/USC
2) Texas
3) ?


You could turn FSU around very fast

Top 5... as in places to coach.

If all you have to be is in a state full of talent UCLA and Texas A&M would be great jobs. It can easily be argued that being the top dog in a second tier talent state like UGA, Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, and Oklahoma, is better than being second fiddle to an undisputed hegemon in a first tier talent state behind UF, Texas, and USC.

UCLA does get great recruiting classes... its there problem to put it to work. Texas A&M doesnt have the tradition. I think its easier to get kids in Florida to FSU than LSU Bama, etc. Kids watched guys like Charlie Ward and were raised on FSU football. And the state of Florida has more talent than Louisana/Alabama.  FSU is in a top 3 recruiting state, and kids want to go. It seems like an easy sell, and a chance for a quick turnaround.

[BucsBullsBolts]

FSU is hardly a top 20 program anymore, much less a top 5, OBF. I dunno where you get that from.

They have a state full of talent. They have players in that state that want to play there. They have a good fan base and what I understand good facilities. They play in a conference they can dominate.

1)Florida/USC
2) Texas
3) ?


You could turn FSU around very fast

Top 5... as in places to coach.

If all you have to be is in a state full of talent UCLA and Texas A&M would be great jobs. It can easily be argued that being the top dog in a second tier talent state like UGA, Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, and Oklahoma, is better than being second fiddle to an undisputed hegemon in a first tier talent state behind UF, Texas, and USC.

UF did pretty good back when FSU was the undisputed hegemon .... The talent pool in Florida has shown yo be plenty large enough to sustain 3 top notch programs, although the difference now is that you've got other Div 1 programs in the state to bleed off some of the talent that would have otherwise provided the depth for the Big 3.

[SnookAU]

FSU is hardly a top 20 program anymore, much less a top 5, OBF. I dunno where you get that from.

They have a state full of talent. They have players in that state that want to play there. They have a good fan base and what I understand good facilities. They play in a conference they can dominate.

1)Florida/USC
2) Texas
3) ?


You could turn FSU around very fast

Top 5... as in places to coach.

If all you have to be is in a state full of talent UCLA and Texas A&M would be great jobs. It can easily be argued that being the top dog in a second tier talent state like UGA, Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, and Oklahoma, is better than being second fiddle to an undisputed hegemon in a first tier talent state behind UF, Texas, and USC.

UF did pretty good back when FSU was the undisputed hegemon .... The talent pool in Florida has shown yo be plenty large enough to sustain 3 top notch programs, although the difference now is that you've got other Div 1 programs in the state to bleed off some of the talent that would have otherwise provided the depth for the Big 3.

And more scholarship restrictions...

[BucsBullsBolts]

FSU is hardly a top 20 program anymore, much less a top 5, OBF. I dunno where you get that from.

They have a state full of talent. They have players in that state that want to play there. They have a good fan base and what I understand good facilities. They play in a conference they can dominate.

1)Florida/USC
2) Texas
3) ?


You could turn FSU around very fast

Top 5... as in places to coach.

If all you have to be is in a state full of talent UCLA and Texas A&M would be great jobs. It can easily be argued that being the top dog in a second tier talent state like UGA, Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, and Oklahoma, is better than being second fiddle to an undisputed hegemon in a first tier talent state behind UF, Texas, and USC.

UF did pretty good back when FSU was the undisputed hegemon .... The talent pool in Florida has shown yo be plenty large enough to sustain 3 top notch programs, although the difference now is that you've got other Div 1 programs in the state to bleed off some of the talent that would have otherwise provided the depth for the Big 3.

And more scholarship restrictions...

That too .... although when did they actually start those restrictions?