Terry Bowden: Why Did No One Else Want Him?

[Dave in Green]

Every time Terry Bowden's name came up as a UA head coach candidate on ZN.o, I always asked the same question: Why had no FBS program in the country shown any interest in him? He was successful at Auburn in the '90s, but was released and no other school hired him. He became a broadcaster and motivational speaker. He finally came back as a D-II coach making $100k a year. Any FBS school could have had him at a bargain price. No one went after him. Why not?

No one ever had an answer to that. So I've researched this myself and have reached my own conclusion as laid out below. Other opinions and interpretations are welcome.

Auburn football was in trouble in 1992. Pat Dye was both athletic director and head coach of the football team, and the NCAA was investigating improprieties. Pay-for-play was suspected, but never proved by the NCAA. The football program would be put on probation in 1993 and 1994 for other violations. William Muse, the former president of UA who had just taken over as president at Auburn, knew they needed a new coach to come in and clean things up. Terry Bowden was the man. He took the team to an 11-0 record in his first season (1993) even though they were playing under NCAA sanctions. He also cleaned up the mess.

In doing so, Bowden may have stepped on the toes of some powerful and wealthy boosters and fallen out of favor. In 1998 he was forced out, and had a problem finding a new head coaching job despite having a great coaching record. He was worried about stories he thought Auburn boosters might be spreading about him. In 2001 he sat down with a local newspaper reporter to tell his side of the story, and it was all recorded on tape. The Associated Press listened to the tape in 2003, and found that the comments matched up with statements that Muse had made in transcripts for his book, The Seventh Muse.

Tape: Ex-coach says boosters paid Auburn players cash

It's easy to understand why anyone researching all of this might have questions about Bowden. He was obviously involved in a very controversial situation at Auburn. Even though Bowden's own statements suggest that he was dedicated to cleaning up the mess, it could be argued that he should have reported what he found to the NCAA.

UA is in a unique position to research this and come to an educated conclusion. Bowden was an assistant to Gerry Faust at UA, so Faust would have personal experience with Bowden's integrity, and Faust is an active advisor to UA. Bowden was at both UA and Auburn when Muse was president, so Muse would also have personal experience with Bowden's integrity, and he would certainly provide good advice to UA where he was president for 8 years.

So I believe that UA did their due diligence on Bowden, and that Bowden passed the integrity test in the same way that Keith Dambrot, Caleb Porter and other current UA coaches have. No matter how desperate UA is to have a winning football program, I don't believe they would have compromised on the integrity component in selecting a head coach.

That's why I feel really good about Terry Bowden being the new head coach for Zips football. I think he'll make the Zips a winning team, and I think he'll do it the right way.

[zen]

This is a better read than any article I have read today related to Bowden

[zippy5]

bravo, dave

[LZIp]

Thanks for posting.

[Kangaroo Craig]

Terry Bowden is a very good football coach. I have read that he was run out of Auburn because of infidelity problems. He could not keep his manhood in his pants. He screwed up, but the problems were not coaching related. Dambrot made a mistake at CMU and Akron gave him a second chance. Now we are taking a chance on another guy with personal baggage. I see allot of similarities between this hire and the KD hire. Great coach with some past character issues. Akron will be very happy with Bowden much in the same way that we have been very pleased with Dambrot. We all make mistakes. Terry Bowden now gets a "Do over" at the FBS level. He will make the most of this chance and we as Zip fans, will be viewing our football program 5 years from now in much of the same manner as we currently view our basketball program.

[Dave in Green]

@Kangaroo Craig, it doesn't surprise me that college football fans in Alabama would spread nasty stuff about a rival's coach or ex-coach. I've spent some time on the SEC forums, and those Auburn and Alabama fans make UA and Can't fans look like longtime lovers. For Auburn and Alabama fans, every coach at the other school is the illegitimate spawn of an alcoholic mass-murderer and a drug-addicted street walker.

I seriously doubt that any Auburn or Alabama coach has ever lost their job over infidelity problems. Bowden started out the 1998 season at Auburn with a 1-5 record. Now that's grounds for capital punishment among Auburn and Alabama fans.

[Kangaroo Craig]

@Kangaroo Craig, it doesn't surprise me that college football fans in Alabama would spread nasty stuff about a rival's coach or ex-coach. I've spent some time on the SEC forums, and those Auburn and Alabama fans make UA and Can't fans look like longtime lovers. For Auburn and Alabama fans, every coach at the other school is the illegitimate spawn of an alcoholic mass-murderer and a drug-addicted street walker.

I seriously doubt that any Auburn or Alabama coach has ever lost their job over infidelity problems. Bowden started out the 1998 season at Auburn with a 1-5 record. Now that's grounds for capital punishment among Auburn and Alabama fans.

I researched this further and these allegations are not proven. Bowden has also publicly denied them. My apologies to Terry Bowden for posting the mud slinging from his haters.

[72 Roo]

Dave ... Thanks for your post on coach Bowden. I can't believe how this hire has raised my spirits. We now have hope where there previously was none, nada, zip. We also have someone who wants to be here and that means a lot to me and I bet others too. He's someone who can look past the crap he is inheriting to see the potential that we present which is far greater than any team in the MAC save Toledo.

What I hope is that after building a league leading program here he comes to value his legacy more than jumping to a bigger, better program. Coaches who continually jump to greener pastures make more money but leave nothing else. The coaches we truly remember are the ones who build programs and lasting legacies. Not those who make the most money. Am I getting the cart before the horse? Damn right. But I'm so high right now I claim the right to dream.

Pardon me for waxing poetically, but I feel good. What do ya'll think?

[Zipmeister]

Dave ... Thanks for your post on coach Bowden. I can't believe how this hire has raised my spirits. We now have hope where there previously was none, nada, zip. We also have someone who wants to be here and that means a lot to me and I bet others too. He's someone who can look past the crap he is inheriting to see the potential that we present which is far greater than any team in the MAC save Toledo.

What I hope is that after building a league leading program here he comes to value his legacy more than jumping to a bigger, better program. Coaches who continually jump to greener pastures make more money but leave nothing else. The coaches we truly remember are the ones who build programs and lasting legacies. Not those who make the most money. Am I getting the cart before the horse? Damn right. But I'm so high right now I claim the right to dream.

Pardon me for waxing poetically, but I feel good. What do ya'll think?

Wax on. Wax off.

[Hilltopper]

Wax on. Wax off.

I'm hiring, it looks like you're qualified. Do you need a job?

[Dave in Green]

Birmingham (Ala.) News sports columnist John Reimer also wonders why no one else wanted Terry Bowden, and predicts he will do good things for UA:

The Hot Corner: Bowden will succeed at Akron

[johnnyzip84]

Birmingham (Ala.) News sports columnist John Reimer also wonders why no one else wanted Terry Bowden, and predicts he will do good things for UA:

The Hot Corner: Bowden will succeed at Akron

Nice find, Dave. It's always good to get a pertinent perspective from another part of the country.

[Z.I.P.]

Every time Terry Bowden's name came up as a UA head coach candidate on ZN.o, I always asked the same question: Why had no FBS program in the country shown any interest in him? He was successful at Auburn in the '90s, but was released and no other school hired him. He became a broadcaster and motivational speaker. He finally came back as a D-II coach making $100k a year. Any FBS school could have had him at a bargain price. No one went after him. Why not?

No one ever had an answer to that. So I've researched this myself and have reached my own conclusion as laid out below. Other opinions and interpretations are welcome.

Auburn football was in trouble in 1992. Pat Dye was both athletic director and head coach of the football team, and the NCAA was investigating improprieties. Pay-for-play was suspected, but never proved by the NCAA. The football program would be put on probation in 1993 and 1994 for other violations. William Muse, the former president of UA who had just taken over as president at Auburn, knew they needed a new coach to come in and clean things up. Terry Bowden was the man. He took the team to an 11-0 record in his first season (1993) even though they were playing under NCAA sanctions. He also cleaned up the mess.

In doing so, Bowden may have stepped on the toes of some powerful and wealthy boosters and fallen out of favor. In 1998 he was forced out, and had a problem finding a new head coaching job despite having a great coaching record. He was worried about stories he thought Auburn boosters might be spreading about him. In 2001 he sat down with a local newspaper reporter to tell his side of the story, and it was all recorded on tape. The Associated Press listened to the tape in 2003, and found that the comments matched up with statements that Muse had made in transcripts for his book, The Seventh Muse.

Tape: Ex-coach says boosters paid Auburn players cash

It's easy to understand why anyone researching all of this might have questions about Bowden. He was obviously involved in a very controversial situation at Auburn. Even though Bowden's own statements suggest that he was dedicated to cleaning up the mess, it could be argued that he should have reported what he found to the NCAA.

UA is in a unique position to research this and come to an educated conclusion. Bowden was an assistant to Gerry Faust at UA, so Faust would have personal experience with Bowden's integrity, and Faust is an active advisor to UA. Bowden was at both UA and Auburn when Muse was president, so Muse would also have personal experience with Bowden's integrity, and he would certainly provide good advice to UA where he was president for 8 years.

So I believe that UA did their due diligence on Bowden, and that Bowden passed the integrity test in the same way that Keith Dambrot, Caleb Porter and other current UA coaches have. No matter how desperate UA is to have a winning football program, I don't believe they would have compromised on the integrity component in selecting a head coach.

That's why I feel really good about Terry Bowden being the new head coach for Zips football. I think he'll make the Zips a winning team, and I think he'll do it the right way.

Thanks again Dave for your legwork in researching this issue -- I was wondering the exact same thing, as I'm sure were many others. Here's my take on Terry's career and his attitude. When I realized who he was (not his brother Tommy, pardon my confusion), I remembered that he was my favorite ESPN/ABC game analyst over the past decade+. He gave off a perception very quickly that he didn't take himself very seriously just because he had been a successful high-level college football coach, and the son of a legendary coach. And unlike nearly 99% of sportscasters, he didn't take the game that seriously either -- he knew it was just a game, and that student-athletes and college administrators shouldn't look at the game as more important than the institution or real life. Terry Bowden always came off on TV as a deeply humble and maybe just a little bit nonchalant. That probably upset some of those who consider football a life-or-death struggle, but impressed me at the same time. I have to think that after what happened to him at Auburn in 1998 (his last year, when he was hammered for starting 1-5), he probably considered himself lucky to put that episode in his past, and to create a new career in the broadcast booth. If the WVa job hadn't opened up in 2008, he might have never coached again. So perhaps some ADs have reason to question his passion for coaching, but there can be no question about his record. Terry Bowden is a coaching success story. Terry Bowden has succeeded in everything he's put his mind to, and I'm pretty confident he can even succeed in making Akron a winner in football. e Komo Mai coach, welcome aboard, coach.

[zipseuph]

Heres an interesting fact. In 9 seasons T-Bow only has 4 more losses than iCoach had in 2.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Hey Zips fans, I wish you guys the best with Bowden. I am a huge fan of his father but not Terry. I really hope he can lead you guys to MAC championships and more but sadly for you guys 99% of UNA fans are glad to see him go. He built his teams at UNA through transfers of D1 players that have either been in trouble at their prior school or couldn't get playing time. His 2011 team had the talent to be competitive in the SEC and probably could have beat the three or four bottom teams in the SEC. The problem was his teams lacked discipline which cost the Lions several games. I really do wish you guys luck with him and I hope he is humbled enough to be able to be effective. Again, good luck with him as I am sorry to say you will need all the luck you can get with him.

Good luck vs. North Auburn this season.

[GP1]

Hey Zips fans, I wish you guys the best with Bowden. I am a huge fan of his father but not Terry. I really hope he can lead you guys to MAC championships and more but sadly for you guys 99% of UNA fans are glad to see him go. He built his teams at UNA through transfers of D1 players that have either been in trouble at their prior school or couldn't get playing time. His 2011 team had the talent to be competitive in the SEC and probably could have beat the three or four bottom teams in the SEC. The problem was his teams lacked discipline which cost the Lions several games. I really do wish you guys luck with him and I hope he is humbled enough to be able to be effective. Again, good luck with him as I am sorry to say you will need all the luck you can get with him.

He averaged almost 10 wins a year. If that is luck, we'll take it.