Bobby Bowden was a college football coach for 44 years. He played quarterback while in college at Howard, now Samford, in Birmingham, Alabama. After graduating in 1953, Bowden worked for two years as an assistant coach before taking the head coach and athletic director position at South Georgia Junior College. He was then head coach at alma mater Samford from 1959-1962.http://www.tampabay.com/sports/college/bobby-bowden-bio/1055418

Coach Bowden left Samford after the 1962 season to become an assistant coach at Florida State. From 1966-75, he coached football for West Virginia - first as offensive coordinator and then as head coach starting in 1970. He went back to Florida State in 1976 to become its head coach, and he remained there until he retired from at the end of the 2009 season.http://www.tampabay.com/sports/college/bobby-bowden-bio/1055418

When Bowden arrived in Tallahassee, Florida, to become head coach, Florida State football was not a winning program. In Bowden's 34 seasons at FSU, however, he coached his teams to 389 victories (the NCAA has vacated 12 victories from the total). http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/13813415/bowden-says-florida-state-pushed-him-outHis teams won two national championships and 12 Atlantic Coast Conference championships.http://www.seminoles.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/bowden_bobby01.html

In recognition of his success as a head coach, he was inducted into the college football Hall of Fame in 2006.http://www.seminoles.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/bowden_bobby01.html Additionally, the playing surface at FSU's Doak-Campbell Stadium is named in his honor.

Outside of football, Bowden has several interests: he donates time to charity, he is much sought-after on the speaking circuit to give motivational speeches, and he is a World War II buff.http://www.seminoles.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/bowden_bobby01.html