I know Bower would not be the sexy pick but your kidding yourself if you don't think he is a great coach. He would be the pick if you want a guy that will stay for the long term so we are not having these conversations every year. That is worth something.
"I think Jeff Bower has established real credibility at Southern Miss, and you don't do that overnight. Year-in and year-out, they play great football and they win. To me, that's a real tribute to Jeff Bower . Any time you're getting ready to play a Jeff Bower -prepared team, you had better strap on your chin strap tight, because there is a get-after-it session getting ready to start."
-- FRANK BEAMER
HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
VIRGINIA TECH
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" Jeff Bower was as competitive a player as I've ever coached, and he's carried that same determination into the coaching profession. He continues to add to the great tradition of Southern Miss football ."
-- MACK BROWN
HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
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" Jeff Bower probably has done as well as anyone in the country when it comes to coaching college football . What he has done to build the program at Southern Miss to where it is right now is one of the most phenomenal jobs in college coaching. He is a very good friend of mine and one of the best coaches in college football ."
-- DENNIS ERICKSON
HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO
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"His loyalty impresses me the most. I know Jeff has had a couple of opportunities to leave and go other places, but that is his home. His commitment to Southern Mississippi is something that obviously I admire - having my background and my feelings of what college coaches should do. Also, he is just a heck of a coach. He is smart and is as sharp as can be, and his football teams play well for him. He is just a great guy. I always look forward to seeing him, but I do not look forward to playing against his teams. They do such a good job on defense and special teams. You have to be very, very precise against them. You can't be careless with them, because they will beat you up. They do so many things, and they move around real well. You look at them and you think they will make mistakes, but they don't. They run so well, and they are really tough."
-- JOE PATERNO
HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
PENN STATE UNIVERSITY
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"I have known Jeff for a number of years and we have developed a good friendship. Our careers have paralleled one another. We both started as assistants and coordinators and both became head coaches about the same time. I have been impressed with what Jeff has accomplished at Southern Miss. He is an excellent coach who understands what it takes to run a successful program."
-- TOMMY TUBERVILLE
HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
AUBURN UNIVERSITY
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"Year-in and year-out, Bower has one of the nation's most well-prepared teams. Offense, defense, special teams, the Golden Eagles have it all. And Bower's ability to maximize talent might be his best trait. Southern Miss has proven it can play with the big boys, which means it is one of the nation's big boys."
-- TOM DIENHART
THE SPORTING NEWS
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" Jeff Bower has had as much impact on his program as any coach in the last decade. He is the reason why USM is practically a lock to always be around the top 25 and a smart pick to upset one of the 'big boys' every year. The Golden Eagles are why Conference USA football is legit. They are aggressive, hungry and always well coached. Whenever you watch them, it always seems to be a hard-hitting, intense game, and you expect the other team's QB is going to be lucky to last four quarters."
-- BRUCE FELDMAN
ESPN THE MAGAZINE
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"If it weren't for Jeff Bower , people wouldn't know if it were Southern Miss or Northern Miss. There's a reason why Jeff Bower 's name is on every athletic director's short list of job candidates. The guy knows how to win and does it the right way."
-- GENE WOJCIECHOWSKI
ESPN THE MAGAZINE/
ESPN COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYST
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"Whenever a major college job opens up, one of the first names mentioned is Jeff Bower . That, in itself, is a testament to the outstanding job he has done at Southern Mississippi . In his 11 years at Southern Miss, the coaching fraternity at the highest profile schools has learned this. Do not pencil in a non-conference 'W' when the Golden Eagles come to town."
-- RICHARD ROSENBLATT
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK
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"Every year I keep thinking that one of the big boys of college football is going to wise up and realize that for the past 11 years, few have done it better than Jeff Bower at Southern Mississippi . I keep thinking that some day one of the super powers is going to beg him to leave Hattiesburg and save their program because when it comes to coaching, this guy can stand toe to toe with any of them. But then I realize that the relationship between Jeff Bower and Southern Mississippi is more than just that between a coach and his school. To him, Hattiesburg is not a location on a map but a place in the heart, and it will take a lot to ever pry him away. Golden Eagle fans ought to be pretty grateful for that."
-- TONY BARNHART
ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION/
ESPN COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYST
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"People continue to ignore Jeff Bower and Southern Mississippi and perhaps there could be no greater compliment. In these bowl-crazed days of not being allowed to lose, non-conference opponents are dodging the Golden Eagles. Those with enough courage must face the consequences. Bower and company have shown there's much more to Mississippi college football than Oxford and Starkville ."
-- JOHN ROHDE
DAILY OKLAHOMAN
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"People who really know college football recognize Jeff Bower as one of the top coaches in the country. He seems to love his alma mater, he wins championships, he takes his team to bowls (four straight) and he doesn't chase jobs at other schools. He doesn't seem to care about 'star' status and that, in itself, is a rarity. Jeff Bower is an athletic director's dream - a coach who wins big at a university that has, relative to schools in the SEC, a modest athletic budget."
-- BILL HAISTEN
TULSA WORLD
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"Of all of Jeff Bower 's accomplishments in his years at Southern Miss, what stands out to me is his decision to stay in one place and build a program. Modern-day coaches have become transients. Bower has withstood the lure of larger schools and built a team known for physical defense and its willingness to embrace the challenges posed by a schedule that would make most knees knock."
-- IVAN MAISEL
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
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"A fiery competitor, very smart football coach, very fair coach ... His loyalty to Southern Miss is tremendous, it is been good for him and even better for the school ... Jeff Bower could be coaching anywhere in the country."
-- CRAIG JAMES
ESPN
