hack
All-Conference
Bowden's relationship with NU endures
By STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star ANALYSIS
Tuesday, Jun 27, 2006 - 09:01:00 am CDT
Before you dismiss 76-year-old Bobby Bowden as a coaching relic, as someone unable to relate to pop culture, consider he has six children and 21 grandchildren.
Yeah, he’s probably heard of “American Idol.”
However, if Bowden encounters any trouble at all relating to his Florida State football players, he can always lean on his younger assistants.
“They do all of the coaching anyway,” Bowden, forever humble, said Monday before his speech at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes function at the Cornhusker Marriott.
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Don’t kid yourself, Bowden still runs the show at Florida State, though perhaps to a lesser extent than he did in, say, 1986, when the Alabama head coaching job — a position Bowden coveted — came open.
Bowden was born in Alabama. After the position opened, Alabama’s governor phoned him. Bobby, who once played quarterback for the Tide, thought the job was his. He was 56 and ready. But he was passed over.
They said he was too old.
“They’ve had about five coaches since then,” Bowden said with a laugh.
Some people say Bowden no longer does much coaching. Steve Ellis of the Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat, who’s covered the Seminoles for 25 years and recently wrote a book about Bowden, disagrees. For instance, Bowden still watches “a ton” of game film, Ellis said.
“It’s still his program — that’s the bottom line,” Ellis said. “He’s cut back a little, but not too much.”
If Bowden’s not watching film, he might well be reading a book about war. Pick a war, any war. He keeps a book in his briefcase and bathroom.
“I think the way a general manipulates his troops is very much the way a coach manipulates his football team,” Bowden said.
How much longer does Bowden plan to manipulate his troops?
“As long as I’m feeling good,” he said Monday. “And as long as I can win enough ballgames to keep the wolves away from my door. I have never had a desire to quit.”
Bowden persists even as wolves frequent his door. Florida State lost 21 games during the past five years after stumbling only 18 times in the preceding 13 seasons.
Of course, Nebraska can relate. The Seminoles and Huskers ranked 1-2 nationally in wins during the 1990s, then slid back into the pack.
Yet Bowden’s wolves were nowhere to be found Monday. In Nebraska, you see, Bowden finds a refuge of sorts. He’s embraced here, although he sports a 6-2 record against the Huskers. Indeed, Lincoln is where he engineered “the win that put Florida State on the map,” he said.
It occurred on Oct. 4, 1980. Before the game, Bowden walked Memorial Stadium’s perimeter. He wanted to experience the fans’ passion. He remembers a family atmosphere, friendliness.
Best of all, he recalls linebacker Paul Piurowski’s jarring hit on Nebraska quarterback Jeff Quinn in the final seconds as the Huskers threatened to pull out a win. Quinn lost the ball, and Nebraska lost the game, 18-14.
Quarterback Danny McManus played the game of his life as Florida State beat Nebraska 31-28 in the 1988 Fiesta Bowl, capping the first of 14 straight seasons in which the Seminoles finished with at least 10 wins and a top-five national ranking.
Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine a program making such a run.
Through the years, Bowden’s affinity for Nebraska deepened, thanks in part to FCA connections. This year, Bowden said, he simply couldn’t say no to friend Ron Brown, a former Husker assistant and current FCA state director.
Indeed, Bowden couldn’t say no to Nebraska.
“Let’s just say this, I wouldn’t be in Colorado right now,” Bowden said. “Or Texas. Or California.”
While away from Tallahassee, Bowden places Kevin Steele in charge of the program. The buzz around Tallahassee is Steele, a Nebraska assistant from 1989-94, is a prime candidate to succeed Bowden. The buzz grew louder this spring when Bowden handed Steele a new title — executive head coach. Steele, 47, also coaches linebackers, as he did at Nebraska.
“He handles all of my office duties (when I’m gone),” Bowden said. “He’s so efficient. He could succeed anybody in my opinion.”
Or perhaps if Florida State struggles badly this season, Seminole administrators will make a clean break from the current staff, as Nebraska did in 2003.
The programs mirror each other in other ways. For instance, both teams return starting quarterbacks and are emphasizing improved ground games (Nebraska ranked 107th nationally in rushing in 2005, Florida State 109th).
Balance on offense is integral, in part because during the last 15 years defenses have geared toward stopping the run, Bowden said.
“Offenses, to counter that, have gone to more wide-open stuff, more shotgun, to try to get that defense dispersed so they can run the ball,” he said.
Florida State rushed for 26 yards last season in a three-overtime Orange Bowl loss to Penn State, a memorable game if only because Bowden squared off against 79-year-old Joe Paterno.
“The excitement was good,” Bowden said with a grin Monday. “But I felt guilty because the guy on the other sideline was so old.”
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
By STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star ANALYSIS
Tuesday, Jun 27, 2006 - 09:01:00 am CDT
Before you dismiss 76-year-old Bobby Bowden as a coaching relic, as someone unable to relate to pop culture, consider he has six children and 21 grandchildren.
Yeah, he’s probably heard of “American Idol.”
However, if Bowden encounters any trouble at all relating to his Florida State football players, he can always lean on his younger assistants.
“They do all of the coaching anyway,” Bowden, forever humble, said Monday before his speech at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes function at the Cornhusker Marriott.
Advertisement
Don’t kid yourself, Bowden still runs the show at Florida State, though perhaps to a lesser extent than he did in, say, 1986, when the Alabama head coaching job — a position Bowden coveted — came open.
Bowden was born in Alabama. After the position opened, Alabama’s governor phoned him. Bobby, who once played quarterback for the Tide, thought the job was his. He was 56 and ready. But he was passed over.
They said he was too old.
“They’ve had about five coaches since then,” Bowden said with a laugh.
Some people say Bowden no longer does much coaching. Steve Ellis of the Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat, who’s covered the Seminoles for 25 years and recently wrote a book about Bowden, disagrees. For instance, Bowden still watches “a ton” of game film, Ellis said.
“It’s still his program — that’s the bottom line,” Ellis said. “He’s cut back a little, but not too much.”
If Bowden’s not watching film, he might well be reading a book about war. Pick a war, any war. He keeps a book in his briefcase and bathroom.
“I think the way a general manipulates his troops is very much the way a coach manipulates his football team,” Bowden said.
How much longer does Bowden plan to manipulate his troops?
“As long as I’m feeling good,” he said Monday. “And as long as I can win enough ballgames to keep the wolves away from my door. I have never had a desire to quit.”
Bowden persists even as wolves frequent his door. Florida State lost 21 games during the past five years after stumbling only 18 times in the preceding 13 seasons.
Of course, Nebraska can relate. The Seminoles and Huskers ranked 1-2 nationally in wins during the 1990s, then slid back into the pack.
Yet Bowden’s wolves were nowhere to be found Monday. In Nebraska, you see, Bowden finds a refuge of sorts. He’s embraced here, although he sports a 6-2 record against the Huskers. Indeed, Lincoln is where he engineered “the win that put Florida State on the map,” he said.
It occurred on Oct. 4, 1980. Before the game, Bowden walked Memorial Stadium’s perimeter. He wanted to experience the fans’ passion. He remembers a family atmosphere, friendliness.
Best of all, he recalls linebacker Paul Piurowski’s jarring hit on Nebraska quarterback Jeff Quinn in the final seconds as the Huskers threatened to pull out a win. Quinn lost the ball, and Nebraska lost the game, 18-14.
Quarterback Danny McManus played the game of his life as Florida State beat Nebraska 31-28 in the 1988 Fiesta Bowl, capping the first of 14 straight seasons in which the Seminoles finished with at least 10 wins and a top-five national ranking.
Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine a program making such a run.
Through the years, Bowden’s affinity for Nebraska deepened, thanks in part to FCA connections. This year, Bowden said, he simply couldn’t say no to friend Ron Brown, a former Husker assistant and current FCA state director.
Indeed, Bowden couldn’t say no to Nebraska.
“Let’s just say this, I wouldn’t be in Colorado right now,” Bowden said. “Or Texas. Or California.”
While away from Tallahassee, Bowden places Kevin Steele in charge of the program. The buzz around Tallahassee is Steele, a Nebraska assistant from 1989-94, is a prime candidate to succeed Bowden. The buzz grew louder this spring when Bowden handed Steele a new title — executive head coach. Steele, 47, also coaches linebackers, as he did at Nebraska.
“He handles all of my office duties (when I’m gone),” Bowden said. “He’s so efficient. He could succeed anybody in my opinion.”
Or perhaps if Florida State struggles badly this season, Seminole administrators will make a clean break from the current staff, as Nebraska did in 2003.
The programs mirror each other in other ways. For instance, both teams return starting quarterbacks and are emphasizing improved ground games (Nebraska ranked 107th nationally in rushing in 2005, Florida State 109th).
Balance on offense is integral, in part because during the last 15 years defenses have geared toward stopping the run, Bowden said.
“Offenses, to counter that, have gone to more wide-open stuff, more shotgun, to try to get that defense dispersed so they can run the ball,” he said.
Florida State rushed for 26 yards last season in a three-overtime Orange Bowl loss to Penn State, a memorable game if only because Bowden squared off against 79-year-old Joe Paterno.
“The excitement was good,” Bowden said with a grin Monday. “But I felt guilty because the guy on the other sideline was so old.”
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
