Getty Image / University of Alabama
Following the seismic news about Nick Saban, Bill Belichick, and Pete Carroll no longer coaching, there was an immediate discussion about the Mt. Rushmore of Football Coaches. The Nick Saban news in particular caused the names of other GOATs, Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno, to trend on X.
I can’t speak to the entire history of Bobby Bowden and Nick Saban‘s relationship. I’ve heard the stories about how Bobby Bowden was always grateful toward Nick for how Saban treated him when Bobby would return to Alabama. But on the day after Nick Saban’s retirement I remembered a story that Coach Saban told in 2022 about the late great Bobby Bowden that seemed worthy of sharing here again today.
On the September 15, 2022 episode of the Hey Coach & The Nick Saban Show, Coach Nick Saban was asked about Bobby Bowden. The hosts referenced how Terry Bowden had spoken about the respect he has for Nick Saban because of the way Coach Saban took care of Bobby. They then asked Nick Saban “how much did Coach Bobby Bowden impact you?” and Coach Saban told an amazing story about Bobby coming to Nick with an offer of help at his darkest hour.
The Impact Coach Bobby Bowden Had On Nick Saban, According To Coach Saban
Nick Saban’s answer was:
“Well, I think Coach Bowden was probably, represented as much as anybody could accomplish as a coach in terms of what he did and number of games that he won. But he did it in such a class fashion. Was a great person. Never criticized anybody else. He had a great personality. And there was never a harsh word that ever came.”
He then told this story:
“And what people don’t understand is…. I think I was 21 years old, I was in my first year of graduate school at Kent State, being a graduate assistant for Don James, who actually coached with Bobby Bowden at Florida State with Bill Peterson being the coach way back when.”
“I don’t know how many years ago that was. So Coach James and Coach Bowden were friends. And I was being a GA, my dad passed away in September. I went home. It was really difficult. Went back to school and all of a sudden Coach Bowden calls me one day and says ‘I know your mom’s here, I knew your dad. If you need to come back home and be closer to your mom, I’ll make sure you have a place to work here at West Virginia and do something so you can continue to develop your career.’ He didn’t have to do that.”
In 1973, Bobby Bowden was the head coach at West Virginia. Coach Bowden would take the HC job in Tallahassee in 1976. Saban was in his first year as a GA at Kent State but would join West Virginia’s staff in 1978. So the two never overlapped at West Virginia but they certainly stayed in touch throughout the years and were always very respectful of each other’s accomplishments.
Not to be lost in this is Bobby Bowden was offered the Head Coaching position at the University of Alabama back in 1990. His response to that offer was:
“I felt like FSU was my school. Alabama was Bear Bryant’s school. No matter what I could have done as Alabama’s coach, it still would have been Coach Bryant’s program. I could never have topped his accomplishment there.”
The search for the next Alabama Head Coach is still on. It’s expected to move quickly, within 72 hours. Stay tuned.