Let me take you back to 1976, when two guys named Steve (Jobs and Wozniak) founded the Apple Computer Company, the NBA merged with the ABA, "Rocky" came out in theaters — and Philadelphians soon had a statue celebrating a fictitious character played by Sly Stallone — and Jimmy Carter was elected President. Oh, and Fred Savage was born. As you can see, it was a very good year.
Well, that was also the year that Bobby Bowden became the head football coach at Florida State University. Not coincidentally, his first season was also the last time the Seminoles had a losing record.
But after the team posted a 6-6 mark this season, it seems that a new coach, likely offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, will be roaming the sidelines for the Noles next season. And all I can say is: It is about time. Apparently, Bowden was given the option to stay on at FSU as an "ambassador to the program," or, as most would call it, a figurehead, akin to the Queen of England. Or he could retire after the team's bowl appearance. His choice of the latter option is best for both sides.
Florida State should be moving on, as should Penn State in the case of Joe Paterno. Bowden celebrated his 80th birthday less than a month ago. When I'm 80, all I want to do is sit on the couch eating Jello and watching "The Price is Right," not spend 70 hours a week trying to figure out how to stop Tim Tebow.
College football has become a big business, and with it comes even larger expectations. At a program like Florida State, you have to get top recruits and get to a BCS bowl to be labeled a success. But despite playing in the relatively weak ACC, Florida State hasn't been to a BCS game since the 2006 Orange Bowl, which the Noles ironically lost to Paterno's Nittany Lions 26-23.
In fact, in three of the last four years, the Seminoles have lost six games and are no longer in the discussion of elite programs. How can you recruit players when they know the program is trying to rebuild?
Bowden set himself up for the awkward exit by making expectations at FSU so lofty. Before he came to FSU, the team had won a total of four games in its prior three seasons. In his tenure, he turned the Seminoles into a college football juggernaut. The Noles won 10 or more games for 14 straight seasons, from 1987 to 2000, winning national championships in 1993 and 1999. Florida State was one of the best teams in the nation around the time I first started to watch college football.
But now, FSU is an also-ran in its own conference. You could find a number of reasons for the team's demise, but don't blame a lack of talent. The Noles have had top-10 recruiting classes in the Rivals.com rankings three out of the last four years, although they have been overshadowed in their home state by Florida.
Had he left a few years back, Bowden could have saved himself the embarrassment of being forced out of the same program that he had developed into a household name. Instead, he decided to try to chase Paterno for the NCAA coaching record, a race that he ultimately fell short of. Now, his final years will be marked by disappointing teams and an academic scandal that could eventually force FSU, and Bowden, to vacate 14 wins from the team's 2006 and 2007 seasons.
It is not the legacy that arguably the best college football coach of all time should be leaving behind. But Florida State felt it had to make a change to get back to being an elite program. Bowden might not have been the whole problem, but the last few seasons showed that it is time for someone new to become the face of the program. Just don't expect anyone to be talking about Fisher in 34 years.
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Ethan Landy is a senior majoring in English. He can be reached at Ethan.Landy@tufts.edu.
