The End of an Era

[Glory's Sun]

Bobby Bowden is leaving Florida State. As a kid I grew up watching and rooting for the Seminoles and I hate how this whole thing has played out. Bobby hasn't had the respect he's had in the past, and it's not his fault his son is a shitty offensive coordinator. Jimbo Fisher is not the answer for Florida State's problems. I can promise you that one. It's going to go from bad to worse for the Seminoles.

TALLAHASSEE -- Legendary Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, who built one of college football's greatest dynasties in 34 seasons with the Seminoles, plans to announce his retirement Tuesday morning, sources close to the situation told ESPN.com.


Bowden, whose 388 career victories trail only Penn State's Joe Paterno as college football's winningest coach, met with FSU president TK Wetherell and athletic director Randy Spetman on Monday morning. According to sources, Bowden was given two options: return to FSU in 2010 as an ambassador to the program, in which he would have little input in the day-to-day operations of the program, or retire after the Seminoles' upcoming bowl game.

Sources told ESPN.com that offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, who was named Bowden's eventual successor near the end of the 2007 season, has agreed to contract terms to replace Bowden after this season. The school's booster organization would have owed Fisher $5 million if he didn't replace Bowden by January 2011.

Bowden, 80, led FSU to national championships in 1993 and '99 and 14 consecutive top-five finishes in the Associated Press top 25 poll from 1987 to 2000. But the Seminoles finished 6-6 after last week's 37-10 loss at No. 1 Florida, which was the third time in four seasons that FSU lost six games.

[Poppinjay]

This is partly why the whole coach in waiting thing is stupid. Maryland is looking at paying James Franklin $1million if he's not head by 2010. They also want to can Ralph Friedgen, and would have to pay him $4 million. So to reverse losing trends they would turn around and hire his assistant? Makes no sense. Debbie Yow is their AD and felt like she was in the catbird seat until the governor of MD issued a statement that that $5million total buyout better not be public funds.

AT ND Charlie Weiss is getting millions to not coach. At Virginia, Al Groh is getting donor money not to coach.

I think I have to change my fantasy thread answer. I would like a million dollars not to coach.

[Glory's Sun]

I agree.. when I first heard about the coach in waiting thing.. I couldn't believe that FSU was treating Bobby that way.. and I instantly thought about how dumb it was.

Charlie Weiss is laughing his ass off right now.. $18 million to leave a school who won't be good for at least another 10 years and he can walk right back into Patriots land and make more cash.

I think I'd like some cash to not coach too..

[Jetée]

Longtime coach Bowden to retire after Florida State's bowl game - NCAA Football - CBSSports.com

I don't follow college ball as much for a variety of reasons, the umbrella of which is that I cannot stand (or comprehend) the bowl system. Still, I always had respect for my close Florida programs (even though FSU was closer, up until I was 11, I thought that the Gators were the greatest team in the history of the SEC).

[Poppinjay]

That whole ambassador thing is just.... ridiculous. It's like they're taking his car keys away.

[Glory's Sun]

just imagine how many titles he'd have if it wasn't for all those Wide Lefts and Wide Rights

/le sigh

So now FSU will have a new head coach and will have to find a defensive coordinator. Yeah. That's going to work out nicely

At least Maryland fans can take some sort of comfort that Ralph Friedgen is coming back..

[Jetée]

It's basically the same thing they've done to Bowden, but he decided to step down when it was announced. Friedgen, I think has an incredible track record, but has been on the decline, and the University program decided to "lessen his workload and duties". I'm sure if it wasn't for his name and his history with Maryland, he could have been (still be) axed come next season.

Come to think of it, isn't it the same thing that happened earlier this season to Washington Redskins' head coach, Jim Zorn? (in that he ceded, to put it lightly, coaching responsibilites to his supervisors/coordinators while he is still the 'face' of the staff; basically, becoming a figurehead playcaller.)

[Poppinjay]

He wasn't even that. The Wednesday after the decision to have Sherm Lewis call the plays from the booth, they announced that they would be radioed to Zorn's OC, not Zorn. He literally said, "but I'll be walking around, hearing what's going on."

The guy who was supposed to be the coach, but Dan Snyder just didn't "gell" with, was the former Redskins DC, who is now with the Saints. Great decision, half pint.

Having Fridge back at Maryland doesn't really solve anything. They have an AD who constantly bickers with her coaches, but tries hard to take credit for any gain they make. At any rate, they'll have to pay Franklin a mill not to coach if somehow Fridge turns it all around and kicks ass next year.


***edit*** part of Fridge's deal is that he has to fire Franklin, and Franklin will instantly be a millionaire.

I think Bowden made the best possible choice. Even though they kind of kicked his dignity around, it works for FSU probably because it HAS to work.

[djtestudo]

My feelings on Florida State as a football fan have wavered from simple dislike (most of the time) to outright hatred (cheering a Chris Rix injury the series after he taunted the Maryland student section while running up the score in a blowout). However, especially as I've started paying more attention to the sport as a whole, I've always liked Bobby Bowden. It's a shame to see him leave under such circumstances, especially after Joe Paterno survived a similar (maybe worse) stretch at Penn State to bring that program back.

As for Friedgen, my freshman year at Maryland was 2001. He spoke at freshman orientation as a brand new coach, where they handed out tickets to the first game in hopes of getting a decent student crowd. By the end of the season the stadium was packed and the Terps were a BCS team. So my support for Friedgen is completely irrational, especially when most Maryland fans range from fairly tepid support to outright disgust over the fall of the program from those early heights.

He has the support of the boosters, both for football and for the athletic department as a whole. He also has a close-by example in Gary Williams, who survived almost being fired last year to return the basketball program to the NCAA tournament and the edge of the Top 25 to start this year.

I didn't honestly think there was much of a chance of his firing, mostly because of his support and because the school couldn't afford the cost of firing him. The school would have either had to promote Franklin, with no reason to think he would do any better, or fire him as well and skimp on the cost of the next coach which wouldn't create many worthwhile options.

The team was extremely young this year (I believe 14 seniors and more than 40 players returning with at least three years of eligibility left), so there's a good opportunity for improvement. Friedgen has already mentioned trying to go back to the more option-style offense he ran early in his tenure, and Jamar Robinson looks like he could be successful as a dual-threat.

Sorry to turn this into a Terps thread. Any other ACC guys want to talk about their coaches?

---------- Post added at 10:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:35 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Poppinjay

***edit*** part of Fridge's deal is that he has to fire Franklin, and Franklin will instantly be a millionaire.

Where did you hear that? I haven't seen anything about it.

---------- Post added at 10:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:36 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Jetée

It's basically the same thing they've done to Bowden, but he decided to step down when it was announced. Friedgen, I think has an incredible track record, but has been on the decline, and the University program decided to "lessen his workload and duties". I'm sure if it wasn't for his name and his history with Maryland, he could have been (still be) axed come next season.

They aren't saying that about Friedgen. He just wasn't fired; no other changes have been made, at least publicly.

[Poppinjay]

Sports media are reporting that some of the strings include a re-structuring of his staff.

[djtestudo]

Originally Posted by Poppinjay

Sports media are reporting that some of the strings include a re-structuring of his staff.

Both main local papers (Baltimore Sun and Washington Post) are saying the opposite, and they both have pretty good beat guys covering the Terps.

Not saying you're wrong, just that I can't find anything that mentions it anywhere.

[Glory's Sun]

Well, the writing was on the wall for Bowden, and maybe he should have peaced out earlier, but they have a super young team and let's be honest here.. they haven't had a decent offensive coordinator in FOREVER. If you don't have a decent OC then you are going to have a harder time recruiting. When FSU tried to turn the program into a run program, they lost a ton of potential prospects at both quarterback and wide receiver. FSU is and should always be a throw first, run second type of team. They need to get back to that if they are going to have success again.

As far as Maryland goes, that situation reeks almost as bad as FSU's situation..

Doesn't Texas have a coach-in-waiting also? It seems to work for them.. what's the difference?

[Jetée]

Originally Posted by Poppinjay

He wasn't even that. The Wednesday after the decision to have Sherm Lewis call the plays from the booth, they announced that they would be radioed to Zorn's OC, not Zorn. He literally said, "but I'll be walking around, hearing what's going on."

The guy who was supposed to be the coach, but Dan Snyder just didn't "gell" with, was the former Redskins DC, who is now with the Saints. Great decision, half pint.

...

Yeah, I really wanted Gregg Williams to stay. Man, LDS (little Dan Snyder) is so inept and frustrating as an NFL owner its not even funny anymore.


By the way, while it hasn't been publicly stated that Ralph Friedgen has been "relieved" of any playcalling/decision-makings, it has been implied that the program wants to find a complimentary coordinator that can take over a good portion of the way the team runs as a whole, (whether this means a more creative offense coordinator, or somebody to shore up the defense, it's kinda murky at this point) and it can be seen as if though Friedgen solved the problem of Maryland's slump (I think). Also, I forgot to mention Joe Paterno (as a similar head coach who was in a way disrespected by having to relinquish 'coaching power' as a prerequisite to staying onboard).

Still, I wish Bobby Bowden the best in his retirement. It's a shame that the background story to his decision actually caused this to come about, but he'll still be known as a legend in college football hereafter.

[bazkitcase5]

I think the difference with this coach in waiting, is that they upped Jimbo's salary by 5 million if he wasn't the head coach by 2010 (the idea was so he wouldn't leave to go coach another school)

that is where they screwed themselves when Bowden wasn't truly ready to go and they were on the line for an extra 5 mil - something had to give...

--

on a side note, I now wish I had studied football like crazy when I was younger - I so could have been a head coach somewhere by now making millions... *sigh*

[Glory's Sun]

as far as I'm concerned, I would have been happier with Jimbo leaving.

I don't see anything special about him.

[bazkitcase5]

yea and that is what would concern me if I were a FSU fan...

they were apparently willing to pay 5 mil to prevent an unproven assistant coach from leaving, rather than let one of the best coaches ever coach until he felt like retiring - and there is no doubt in my mind that he was pressured into retiring

[Glory's Sun]

FSU fans are in for the long haul.. it's going to go from bad to worse.. recruits are going to be scared to sign because of the drama.

Bobby had to go eventually, but like you said, him being pressured out was such a low class move by FSU..that it makes me sick to even support them.

[djtestudo]

Originally Posted by guccilvr

Well, the writing was on the wall for Bowden, and maybe he should have peaced out earlier, but they have a super young team and let's be honest here.. they haven't had a decent offensive coordinator in FOREVER. If you don't have a decent OC then you are going to have a harder time recruiting. When FSU tried to turn the program into a run program, they lost a ton of potential prospects at both quarterback and wide receiver. FSU is and should always be a throw first, run second type of team. They need to get back to that if they are going to have success again.

As far as Maryland goes, that situation reeks almost as bad as FSU's situation..

Doesn't Texas have a coach-in-waiting also? It seems to work for them.. what's the difference?

I think their arrangement is more like Brown gets to leave whenever he wants, whereas at least in the Maryland situation Friedgen has to be gone after 2011 anyway or else Franklin is owed $1 million.

Of course, if the team stinks next year I can't see the school allowing Franklin to take over at any point.

---------- Post added at 05:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:24 PM ----------

Originally Posted by guccilvr

FSU fans are in for the long haul.. it's going to go from bad to worse.. recruits are going to be scared to sign because of the drama.

Bobby had to go eventually, but like you said, him being pressured out was such a low class move by FSU..that it makes me sick to even support them.

Best part...The Gator Bowl is trying to get them to play West Virginia, passing over four or five more-deserving ACC teams (not including those that get to higher bowls).

Awesome

[Glory's Sun]

I seriously hope that the bowl committee doesn't allow that shit to happen..