Bobby Bowden

Head coach, Florida State, 1976 to 2009
Before: West Virginia

College career357-124-4345 official wins · 12 vacated
Titles2national
Program liftNo. 1of 1,290 tenures since 1937

Now

Career arc

Stature score reached, by season of his head-coaching careerFBS medianWest VirginiaFlorida StatePittsburghPittsburghFloridaFloridaDynastythe sport's summitBlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelWest Virginia when he took over: 29.5 (National Program III), its final 1969 readingWest Virginia, 1970: 8-3, National Program IIWest Virginia, 1970: 8-3, National Program II1970West Virginia, 1971: 7-4, National Program IIWest Virginia, 1972: 8-4, National Program IIWest Virginia, 1973: 6-5, National Program IIIWest Virginia, 1974: 4-7, National Program IIIWest Virginia, 1975: 9-3, National Program IIWest Virginia, 1975: 9-3, National Program II1975+1.6Florida State when he took over: 27.8 (National Program III), its final 1975 readingFlorida State, 1976: 5-6, National Program IIIFlorida State, 1976: 5-6, National Program III1976Florida State, 1977: 10-2, National Program IIIFlorida State, 1978: 8-3, National Program IIFlorida State, 1979: 11-1, National Program IFlorida State, 1980: 10-2, Power Program IIIFlorida State, 1981: 6-5, Power Program IIIFlorida State, 1982: 9-3, Power Program IIIFlorida State, 1983: 7-5, Power Program IIIFlorida State, 1984: 7-3-2, Power Program IIIFlorida State, 1985: 9-3, Power Program IIFlorida State, 1986: 7-4-1, Power Program IIIFlorida State, 1987: 11-1, Power Program IIFlorida State, 1988: 11-1, Power Program IFlorida State, 1989: 10-2, Power Program IFlorida State, 1990: 10-2, Power Program IFlorida State, 1991: 11-2, Power Program IFlorida State, 1992: 11-1, Power Program IFlorida State, 1993: 12-1, Blue Blood, national champion◆Florida State, 1994: 10-1-1, Blue BloodFlorida State, 1995: 10-2, Blue BloodFlorida State, 1996: 11-1, Blue BloodFlorida State, 1997: 11-1, Blue BloodFlorida State, 1998: 11-2, Blue BloodFlorida State, 1999: 12-0, Blue Blood, national champion◆Florida State, 2000: 11-2, Blue BloodFlorida State, 2001: 8-4, Blue BloodFlorida State, 2002: 9-5, Blue BloodFlorida State, 2003: 10-3, Blue BloodFlorida State, 2004: 9-3, Blue BloodFlorida State, 2005: 8-5, Blue BloodFlorida State, 2006: 7-6, Blue BloodFlorida State, 2007: 7-6, Blue BloodFlorida State, 2008: 9-4, Blue BloodFlorida State, 2009: 7-6, Blue BloodFlorida State, 2009: 7-6, Blue Blood2009+61.0best: 1999bracket: consecutive-win streak · ◆ national title · gray dashed: rival programs · ○ the program when he took over · Dashed segments are program changes17-game win streak (1999-00)

Bowls and playoffs: 22-10-1 · won 1 of 3 national title games

West Virginia’72L’75WFlorida State’77W’79L’80L’82W’83W’84T’85W’86W’87W’88W’89W’90W’91W’92W’93W’94W’95W’96L’97W’98L’99W★’00L’01W’02L’03L’04W’05L’06W’07L’08W’09W

Show all 33 games
West Virginia1972Peach BowlL 13-491975Peach BowlW 13-10Florida State1977Tangerine BowlW 40-171979Orange BowlL 7-241980Orange BowlL 17-181982Gator BowlW 31-121983Peach BowlW 28-31984Florida Citrus BowlT 17-171985Gator BowlW 34-231986All-American BowlW 27-131987Fiesta BowlW 31-281988Sugar BowlW 13-71989Fiesta BowlW 41-171990Blockbuster BowlW 24-171991Cotton Bowl ClassicW 10-21992Orange BowlW 27-141993Orange BowlW 18-161994Sugar BowlW 23-171995Orange BowlW 31-261996Sugar BowlL 20-521997Sugar BowlW 31-141998Fiesta BowlL 16-231999 ★Sugar BowlW 46-292000Orange BowlL 2-132001Gator BowlW 30-172002Sugar BowlL 13-262003Orange BowlL 14-162004Gator BowlW 30-182005Orange BowlL 23-262006Emerald BowlW 44-272007Music City BowlL 28-352008Champs Sports BowlW 42-132009Gator BowlW 33-21

Report card

Above the median offense — 56th percentile.

Florida State, every completed season graded against the whole field, then averaged.

Offense

B-
of which —56th
efficiency — 56th percentile success rate, 2004–09
B-51st
Standard-downs success
B66th
Passing-downs success
C40th
Trench push (line yards)
B63rd
Red-zone scoring rate
C-36th
Power-success (short yardage)
C44th
Ball security (giveaways per game)

Each season is his team’s percentile among every team with that stat (the share it beat), averaged over his completed seasons here; a mid-season takeover year and the season in progress aren’t graded. Letters: A+ 90th percentile and up, A 80, B+ 70, B 60, B− 50, C+ 45, C 40, C− 30, D 15, F below.