Bowden: “My Days are Limited”
May 18, 2009 by Allison Boyer
Filed under Football
Bobby Bowden hasn’t officially announced his retirement plans, but he alluded to the fact that he’ll only be around for 2009 and 2010. Bowden is one of the winningest coaches in major college football (second only to Penn State’s Joe Paterno – right now, at least, since they’re pretty much neck and neck), and he’s beloved on the Florida State campus…and that’s why he won’t talk about his retirement date.
“My days are limited, but I still enjoy what I do. I would rather walk off quietly. That’s the reason I won’t say when I’m going to get out because people start counting the days and saying that’s the last time he’s going to play here.”
Bowden’s plans to retire, however, may have something to do with the coach-in-training offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher.
Bobby Bowden, Image: Newscom
If Fisher isn’t officially the head coach by Jan. 11, 2011, his contract states that he gets a $5 million payout. Bowden definitely doesn’t want to be $5 million in debt to Fisher and the college, and although he won’t announce anything yet, when asked, he’s said,
”I don’t want to answer that, but if you put two and two together, you’ll be right.”
Bowden knows that his career is winding down, and I think some hullabaloo surrounding his retirement is inevitable. From now until he retires, he’s going to be asked about it roughly a bajillion times, and fans of NCAA football will continue to speculate. Bowden’s one of the few old-school coaches still left in the game, and even though I’m not a Florida State fan, I’ll miss him and hope he stays involved in the game in some capacity.
