 Bowden in 2010 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1954-07-10)July 10, 1954 (age 70) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1973–1976 | West Virginia |
| Position(s) | Wide receiver |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1977 | West Virginia (GA) |
| 1978–1979 | Florida State (DB) |
| 1980 | Auburn (RB) |
| 1981–1982 | Florida State (TE) |
| 1983–1984 | Duke (QB) |
| 1985–1986 | Duke (OC) |
| 1987–1989 | Alabama (WR) |
| 1990 | Kentucky (OC) |
| 1991–1996 | Auburn (OC) |
| 1997–1998 | Tulane |
| 1999–2008 | Clemson |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 90–49 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1C-USA (1998) | |
| Awards | |
| C-USA Coach of the Year (1998) 2×ACCCoach of the Year (1999, 2003) | |
Tommy Pearce Bowden (/ˈbaʊdən/; born July 10, 1954) is an American formercollege football coach. He served as the head coach atClemson University from 1999 until October 13, 2008. He is a son ofBobby Bowden, former head football coach ofFlorida State University, against whom he coached in games nicknamed the "Bowden Bowl." He is also a brother ofTerry Bowden, who served as the head coach ofAuburn.
Before coming to Clemson, Bowden was the head coach atTulane University, and an assistant at theUniversity of Alabama,Auburn University,Duke University, theUniversity of Kentucky,East Carolina University and, with his father, atFlorida State. His 1998 Tulane squad went 12–0 and achieved a top-10 final ranking in both polls. Despite being one of only two undefeated teams in the regular season, Tulane was not even considered for a bid in aBowl Championship Series game because it was believed they had not played a difficult schedule.
Bowden was hired as Clemson's head coach before the 1999 season. Bowden's Clemson teams went to abowl game every year he coached there, except in 2004, when, aftera brawl with rivalSouth Carolina, both teams withdrew from bowl consideration for that season. He resigned on October 13, 2008, after leading the team to a disappointing 3–3 record (1–2 ACC) at the midpoint of a season in which the Tigers had been an almost unanimous preseason pick to win their first ACC title under Bowden and were ranked #9 in the preseason polls. Assistant head coach/wide receivers coachDabo Swinney was named as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. In ten seasons, Bowden led the Tigers to zero conference championships, finishing only as high as second in the conference twice and second in the Atlantic division three times.
Bowden attended and played football forWest Virginia University from 1972 through 1976. He is married to Linda White and has two children, Ryan and Lauren. He is a son of formerFlorida State Seminoles head coach, the lateBobby Bowden and has two sisters and three brothers, includingTerry, former head coach at Auburn University , andJeff, who served as an assistant coach on his brother Terry's staff. Bowden is anevangelical Christian.[1][2]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulane Green Wave(Conference USA)(1997–1998) | |||||||||
| 1997 | Tulane | 7–4 | 5–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1998 | Tulane | 12–0 | 6–0 | 1st | Liberty | 7 | 7 | ||
| Tulane: | 19–4 | 11–1 | |||||||
| Clemson Tigers(Atlantic Coast Conference)(1999–2008) | |||||||||
| 1999 | Clemson | 6–6 | 5–3 | T–2nd | LPeach | ||||
| 2000 | Clemson | 9–3 | 6–2 | T–2nd | LGator | 14 | 16 | ||
| 2001 | Clemson | 7–5 | 4–4 | T–4th | WHumanitarian | ||||
| 2002 | Clemson | 7–6 | 4–4 | T–5th | LTangerine | ||||
| 2003 | Clemson | 9–4 | 5–3 | 3rd | WPeach | 22 | 22 | ||
| 2004 | Clemson | 6–5 | 4–4 | T–6th | Declined* | ||||
| 2005 | Clemson | 8–4 | 4–4 | 3rd(Atlantic) | WChamps Sports | 21 | 21 | ||
| 2006 | Clemson | 8–5 | 5–3 | T–2nd(Atlantic) | LMusic City | ||||
| 2007 | Clemson | 9–4 | 5–3 | 2nd(Atlantic) | LChick-fil-A | 22 | 21 | ||
| 2008 | Clemson | 3–3‡ | 1–2 | T–2nd(Atlantic) | |||||
| Clemson: | 72–45 | 43–32 | |||||||
| Total: | 90–49 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
| |||||||||
*Self-imposed punishment forteam fight with South Carolina
‡Bowden resigned on October 13, 2008.
