johnnyzip84 Posted January 13, 2012 Report Share Posted January 13, 2012 This looks to be the start of a nice article about the FSU connections/similarities. We'll have to check back to see whether they've added additional material as they currently mention towards the bottom of the page. Some might not recall how insignificant Florida State was in the world of college football prior to the arrival of Coach Bobby Bowden from WVU. Sure it's probably a dream to imagine THAT kind of turnaround here, but I'll settle for 1/4 of it Edit: Never mind the link, I didn't realize it requires payment. Below is the gist of it: It's somehow appropriate that Akron's new head football coach, Terry Bowden, would put together a coaching staff with a distinct Florida State flavor. His cornerbacks coach is former FSU great Terrell Buckley, his defensive coordinator is longtime Seminoles assistant Chuck Amato, his brother Jeff is on the staff as special teams coordinator and receivers coach, and there are other FSU connections as well. The way Bowden sees it, Akron's struggling football program is a lot like the one his father, Bobby, took over at Florida State. Like the Seminoles of the mid-1970s, Akron's Zips have been struggling to get on the winning track. But with improving facilities, a strong talent base in the area and an energized new coaching staff, Terry Bowden believes he can awaken a sleeping giant. "Akron is so ready to win," said Terry Bowden, who has spent the past three seasons at North Alabama. "It really reminds me of the situation at Florida State when my dad got there in 1976. And I believe we can have that kind of success on our level -- the MAC (Mid-American Conference) level." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewZipsFan Posted January 13, 2012 Report Share Posted January 13, 2012 This looks to be the start of a nice article about the FSU connections/similarities. We'll have to check back to see whether they've added additional material as they currently mention towards the bottom of the page. Some might not recall how insignificant Florida State was in the world of college football prior to the arrival of Coach Bobby Bowden from WVU. Sure it's probably a dream to imagine THAT kind of turnaround here, but I'll settle for 1/4 of it Edit: Never mind the link, I didn't realize it requires payment. Below is the gist of it: It's actually coming out tomorrow - that was a promo blurb for it. I have a subscription (and again, NO, I am NOT Bobby Bowden!) so I will share it tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewZipsFan Posted January 14, 2012 Report Share Posted January 14, 2012 It's actually coming out tomorrow - that was a promo blurb for it. I have a subscription (and again, NO, I am NOT Bobby Bowden!) so I will share it tomorrow. Here it is: Terry Bowden brings FSU flavor to Akron football By Ira Schoffel Democrat sports editor It was only fitting that Akron's new head football coach, Terry Bowden, would put together a staff with a distinct Florida State flavor. His cornerbacks coach is former FSU great Terrell Buckley, his defensive coordinator is longtime Seminoles assistant Chuck Amato, his brother Jeff is on the staff as special-teams coordinator and outside receivers coach, and there are other FSU connections as well. The way Bowden sees it, Akron's struggling football program is a lot like the one his father, Bobby, took over at Florida State. Like the Seminoles of the mid-1970s, Akron's Zips have been battling to get back on the winning track; they have won just one game each of the past two seasons. But with improved facilities, a strong talent base in the area and an energized new coaching staff, Terry Bowden believes he can awaken a sleeping giant. "Akron is so ready to win," said Bowden, who has spent the past three seasons at North Alabama. "It really reminds me of the situation at Florida State when my dad got there in 1976. And I believe we can have that kind of success on our level - the MAC (Mid-American Conference) level." It has been an odd journey for the 54-year-old Bowden, who was one of the nation's hot young coaches when he led Auburn to an 11-0 record in 1993. After compiling a 46-12-1 mark in his first five years there, Bowden resigned following a 1-5 start in 1998. He then spent most of the next decade working as a television broadcaster and public speaker, before getting the itch to return to coaching. "Very few people go into a different industry for 10 years and then go back, so there was nobody to pattern myself after," Bowden said. "But I knew one thing - I knew that I wanted to coach again." After an 11-year absence from the sidelines, Bowden took over Division-II North Alabama in 2009 and enjoyed instant success. The Lions went 29-9 in his three seasons, made playoff appearances each year and were planning to make a move to Division-I status. Bowden said he was perfectly content to stay in Florence, Ala., but everything changed when he received a call from athletic department officials at Akron. "They called me and sold me," Bowden said. The attraction for Bowden was natural. Not only has the school made a commitment to athletics, with a new $61 million football stadium and an indoor practice facility, but he actually worked there as a young assistant under Gerry Faust in the mid-1980s. And he remembers the area fondly from his youth, when father Bobby was the head coach at West Virginia. "I grew up in Morgantown, which is three or four hours from here, so this area is home for me," Bowden said. "This is the part of the country where I'm most comfortable." Bowden also is familiar with the rich talent in the area. Though he joked at his introductory press conference that he might need to head down to Florida to find some "gazelles," he is excited to recruit the hard-nosed, physical style of football players that can be found in Ohio and western Pennsylvania. When it came to building a staff, Bowden said he didn't intend for it to be so Florida State-centric. Bringing along his brother Jeff was a natural, but his other offensive coaches were simply men he had worked with in the past. "I'll be running the offense, and I'll be calling the plays," said Bowden, who will run a quick-tempo, no-huddle attack. "So I wanted to surround myself with people who were on the same page." Most of the Florida State connections are on his defense, which will be orchestrated by Amato. "Defensively, I wanted a dynamic leader, somebody with energy and who would bring some pizzazz," Bowden said. "Chuck not only did an incredible job for all those years at Florida State, but also what he did (as head coach) at North Carolina State - particularly on defense. They had some great defenses there." It was Amato's desire to bring along former FSU standout and strength coach Todd Stroud to coach the defensive line, as well as Buckley to coach the cornerbacks. And Bowden has been impressed by what he has seen thus far, saying that Buckley, "is on the verge of being a great one." With his coaching staff in place, and a few more weeks to tidy up his first recruiting class, Bowden sounds like a man who can hardly wait to get on the field for spring practice. "I'm just really excited about it," he said. "I know that I have another 10 or 15 good years." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottditzen Posted January 14, 2012 Report Share Posted January 14, 2012 Love the article. I am digging this attention!!! Thanks for posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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