Bowden Will Distance Himself From FSU in Retirement

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Bobby Bowden may have lost his job after 34 years, but he certainly hasn't lost his sense of humor. Bowden chuckled and joked he's hopeful a convenience store could use him after Florida State's game against West Virginia in the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day.

"I don't want to sit there and do nothing. That's what puts you in your grave, doing nothing," Bowden said. "I want to do something."

No longer wanted as head football coach at FSU, Bowden still believes it's best he separates himself from a university and program that he helped build into national prominence over the past 34 years. Bowden, forced to resign last week, reiterated Tuesday that it's unlikely he will return to the school as a fundraiser next year.

"I will probably weigh other options. Right now I think it's best I get away," Bowden said in a teleconference with reporters, his first since he announced his decision to step down a week ago. Bowden, 80, initially mentioned his future plans during his television call-in show last Thursday, as reported by FanHouse.

Bowden, a noted speaker both from the podium and pulpit, said he will concentrate on what he calls "evangelizing" as well as speaking to interested businesses. Bowden spoke to the Birmingham, Ala., Quarterback Club Monday night and to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes group in Thomasville, Ga., Tuesday morning.

The Seminoles (6-6) are scheduled to begin bowl practice next week, and Bowden said it would be business as usual.

"From now until that bowl, I am the head football coach," Bowden said. "I won't change the way I've handled things this year."

Bowden, who again stressed that it was his desire to coach a final season in 2010, said he has received countless letters of encouragement from fans and friends. He also said his family continues to cope with FSU's decision to move on without its legendary coach.

"It's more disappointment than anything else," Bowden said.

"Everything has to come to an end. I was planning on going for another year, but it was obvious I would not go another year. Some like it, some don't," Bowden said, referring to letters he's received. "It's probably tougher on family than me. They get hurt. If Bobby gets hurt, they get hurt. They've all reached a realization ... it's over for me. My football coaching is over.

"Who is going to start over at 80?"

Bowden, whose 388 career victories trail only Penn State's Joe Paterno as major college football's winningest coach, plans to make a quick exit from FSU.

Bowden said he and his wife, Ann, will probably keep their house of 34 years here, but they do plan to relocate to their condominium at Panama City Beach, Fla., or will find a new home in their hometown of Birmingham, Ala.

Bowden said he has told incoming coach Jimbo Fisher that he would try to have his office cleaned out before the Seminoles return from the Gator Bowl.

While Bowden directed all questions concerning the circumstances surrounding his departure to university officials, he said he hoped FSU fans would support Fisher, who was named Bowden's successor in 2007. It will be Fisher's first head coaching job.

"As soon as I get out of here, they've got to jump on his bandwagon and support him every way they can," Bowden said.

"I am sure they will. I think that's the nature of the game. When I came here, they jumped on my bandwagon and helped me get started and did a tremendous job in that regard. I am sure they are going to do Jimbo ... that's one reason I want to leave town. I don't want him to sit in my shadow the whole time."

As initially reported by FanHouse last week, Bowden confirmed that he contemplated not coaching in the Seminoles' bowl game after his emotional initial meeting last Monday with university president T.K. Wetherell and school officials.

However, Bowden decided to return to the sidelines a final time because he didn't want to quit on his players. The Gator Bowl sold out in less than two hours on Monday.

"I felt like it's not fair to the boys. It would be like me running off on them. I wasn't going to do that, so I wanted to coach in this bowl," Bowden said.

"It never crossed my mind this would be [so much] fanfare. I must have been out of my mind. I was really hoping I could coach [next year]. My plans were I would be out [in January] 2011, that would be my last hurrah. It's very obvious we can't avoid something like that."

Bowden is also happy that he'll go out against West Virginia, the school the Seminoles played to start their string of 28 straight bowl invitations. Bowden also was the head coach at West Virginia prior to being hired at FSU in 1976.

"I guess it was meant to be," Bowden said about his career finale against a school where he spent 10 years while his children grew up. "I've always felt like things were meant to be."

While Bowden said he could see himself returning to Doak Campbell Stadium next season to watch the Seminoles, he doesn't want FSU officials to honor his career during a game.

When FSU announced Bowden's retirement on Dec. 1, Wetherell said in a statement that he hoped the athletics department would plan a celebration and recognition for Bowden during a game in 2010.

"I don't need my back stroked," Bowden said. "I don't have an ego problem, I don't think. I appreciate their concern and thoughts, but I don't have to have that."

FSU drew sharp criticism last week for its handling of the Bowden announcement.

Wetherell and athletic director Randy Spetman have remained silent about Bowden's resignation.

Wetherell, who played football at FSU under Bowden when Bowden was an assistant in the 1960s, left Tallahassee in the days following the announcement. Spetman dodged reporters the day Bowden gave word of his resignation in the form of a five-page press release and said he would address the situation "in a while."

There were whispers circulating from FSU that Bowden had asked the duo not to comment, but Bowden said Tuesday that was not true. "I guess I am like older folks, like the older boxers, you got one more fight. You are like [Evander Holyfield], you are like Joe Louis, Muhammad [Ali], you just think you got it one more time, you can do it. "
-- Bobby Bowden

Bowden said he elected to remain silent about the decision "purposely, just hate for it to be out there all the time." It's also believed the silence stems from continued negotiations between FSU and Bowden.

While FSU has lost six games or more three times in the last four years -- the Seminoles will finish with their first losing season since Bowden's first at FSU in 1976 if they fall to West Virginia -- Bowden had hoped to turn around FSU before leaving, much like Paterno did at Penn State.

Bowden said he talked to good friend Paterno late last week.

"Joe and I talked about how his president and athletic director had come to see him and tried to get him to retire," Bowden said.

"Joe said, 'No, I am not going to do it. I want to get this thing turned around and we are going to win.' Sure enough he did. I always thought maybe it would happen to me, too. It didn't. Joe wants me to hang tough. Don't listen to them. I told him I already hung it up."

Bowden, committed to his faith, believes God wanted him to be a football coach. Bowden also leaned on his faith the past week as his life takes a new direction.

"I prayed many a night that God would tell me whether to stay on or leave," Bowden said. "I felt like I got the answer. Time to hang it up. That's where my faith comes in."

Bowden said nothing would make him feel better than for FSU to be successful in 2010.

"I hope they can be real successful next year -- I was wanting to coach that next year because I thought we had a good football team coming back," Bowden said.

"I guess I am like older folks, like the older boxers, you got one more fight. You are like [Evander Holyfield], you are like Joe Louis, Muhammad [Ali], you just think you got it one more time, you can do it.

"That's kind of the way I have always felt, but it didn't happen last year. It didn't happen this year. Maybe one more year, maybe it's fixing to happen. It will happen, sooner or later. You can see why I would really want to see them successful next year."