Bowden, Bobby (1929-2021), ranks among the most successful coaches in the history of American college football. Bowden won 377 games during his 44-year career. Only Joe Paterno won more Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS, previously called Division I-A) games than Bowden, with 409. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) FBS is the most competitive grouping of schools playing college football. Bowden won most of his games as head coach of Florida State University. At Florida State, Bowden’s teams won national championships in 1993 and 1999. Bowden’s teams won 389 games on the field. However, in 2010, the NCAA vacated 12 of his victories at Florida State due to an academic scandal in 2006 and 2007.
Robert Cleckler Bowden was born on Nov. 8, 1929, in Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated with a B.S. degree from Howard College (now Samford University) in Birmingham in 1953. Bowden began his head coaching career at Howard from 1959 to 1962, winning 31 games and losing only 6 as head coach. He became an assistant coach at West Virginia University in 1966 and the head coach in 1970, winning 42 games and losing 26. In 1976, Bowden left West Virginia to become head coach at Florida State University. He retired from Florida State after the 2009 season. Not including the 12 victories vacated by the NCAA, he won 304 games and lost 97 while at Florida State. Four games ended in ties. Bowden died on Aug. 8, 2021.
