Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Bobby Bowden Signs New Contract But Is Running Out Of Time

Who says that the game of football has passed Bobby Bowden by? Certainly not Florida State! The Seminoles gave the ACC’s elder statesman a cool $2.5 million to return to the sideline in 2009. So now we get to see the race continue between Bowden and Penn State’s Joe Paterno for the most career wins. Bowden currently trails Paterno’s 383 career wins by one. However, it isn’t Paterno that Bowden needs to keep an eye on. Rather its FSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher and Father Time.

Fisher is the Seminoles head coach designate and his contract states that he has to replace Bowden by 2011 or the university will owe him $5 million. Time is of the essence for Bowden because there really isn’t a lot of it left for him. Where Paterno seems to be able to name his exit time and date it appears on the outside that Bowden doesn’t seem to have that luxury. While he has become a sentimental icon at FSU for his faith, father like approach to coaching and putting Florida State football on the map it just isn’t likely that the University is going to pay a dump truck load of money to an offensive coordinator to keep around a head coach who has lost an average of four games a year over the past five seasons.