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Robert Clecker "Bobby" Bowden (b. November 8, 1929) has been head football coach at Florida State University since 1976. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama.
He was a better than average football player at Woodlawn High, and played for one semester at the University of Alabama before returning to Birmingham and marrying his high school sweetheart Ann Estock on April 1, 1949. The couple have 6 children and 21 grandchildren.
He had gone 73-32 at Samford University and West Virginia University before arriving at FSU. Bowden has not had a losing season; he is the only coach in Division I-A football history to compile 13 straight 10-win seasons. His Seminoles won the National Championship in 1993 and 1999. While widely recognized for his coaching skills, his teams have often been mired in controversy. Numerous FSU players have had high-profile arrests, and his teams' academic graduation rates have been poor. He's notorious for his southern drawl, with statements like, "Dag gummit" topping the list.
His grandson and son-in-law were killed in Gadsden County, Florida when their car was involved in a collision on a slick highway during Hurricane Frances.
In November 2004, the field at Doak Campbell Stadium was renamed Bobby Bowden Field.
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