Bowden’s love of football began when he was a child around thirteen when he was diagnosed with rheumatic fever.  He was bedridden for a year and listened to World War II coverage on the radio and to Alabama Football on Saturday’s.  He fulfilled his lifelong dream when he played quarterback for Alabama in college before transferring and graduating from Howard College.

Howard College is where Bowden began his coaching career in 1954.  He went on to coach at South Georgia College (head coach), Florida State (assistant coach) and West Virginia (assistant coach). He took the head coaching job at West Virginia after the 1970 season when the head coach left.  One fact many may not know….Bowden was in his first year as a head coach at West Virginia in 1970 when the Marshall plane crash occurred.  He originally was the top candidate for that job he has said.  After the crash, Bowden contacted the NCAA and asked to let his team play Marshall’s last game of the season and wear Marshall jerseys to honor the fallen Marshall football team who all perished in the plane crash.  The NCAA denied his request, but he had the WVU team wear a green cross with the letters MU on their helmets in honor of those who died.  Bowden is also credited with helping Marshall Football recover from the loss.  He granted the new Marshall coaches with all access and gave them game film and playbooks to help them with the “veer offense”.

In 1976, Bowden returned to Florida State as the head coach this time where he remained the rest of his coaching career.  In his 33 years as head coach of the Seminoles he only had one losing season which was his first season.  He has compiled a record of 315-97-4.  He won National Championships in 1993 and 1999, finished 14 straight seasons in the Associated Press Poll top 5 and is the only Division 1A coach to accomplish 14 seasons with 10 or more wins.

It is clear Bowden lived a life of football and conqured more than most coaches could ever dream of doing.  His story will continue on through his peers, former players and fans.  One can be sure he will continue to make an impact wherever he is in whatever he does.  Good Luck Coach Bowden…enjoy your retirement.  You have definitely earned it.