Bobby Bowden, Birmingham Native And Coaching Legend, Dies At 91

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Bobby Bowden, one of the most successful college football coaches in history died early Sunday at 91 at his home in Tallahassee, following a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Bowden, a Birmingham native, starred at Woodlawn High School and played quarterback for the University of Alabama and later transferred to Howard College (now Samford University) where he played football, baseball and ran track. He returned to coach the Bulldogs, and compiled a 31–6 record between 1959 and 1962.

Bowden then went on to coach at West Virginia before landing at Florida State, where he became a college football coaching legend.

Bowden was named national coach of the year six times (1979, 1980, 1991, 1992, 1996 and 1999) and led Florida State to the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship 12 times including eight in a row from 1992-2000, after the university spent the first 16 years of his career as an independent.

He piled up 377 wins during 40 years as a major college coach and his teams won a dozen Atlantic Coast Conference titles and national championships in 1993 and 1999. Perhaps the statistic that jumps off the page is his sustained success with Florida State, which finished the season ranked in the top five of The Associated Press college football poll an unmatched 14 straight seasons (1987-2000) under his tutelage.

“This guy was probably the greatest ambassadors of all time because he had success coaching, but he was also one of the greatest people and set an outstanding example for everyone in our profession in terms of you don’t have to dislike somebody, you don’t have to discredit somebody that you’re competing against,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “That example of being a good person is something that can help us all professionally. He wasn’t always just about him; he was always about helping other people.”

He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Ann; his sons Terry, Tommy, Jeff and Steve; and daughters Robyn Hines and Ginger Madden, and his grandchildren.