Terry Bowden addresses coaching career, television stint

Former Auburn Tigers head coach Terry Bowden has had quite the college coaching career. Well, during a recent interview on the Paul Finebaum show Bowden addressed his start in coaching football, his time in the SEC, and how it led to his stint on television.

“We all work very hard, growing up, to become who we are. Some of us just have a different journey. But I love football,” said Bowden.

Terry Bowden is the son of legendary Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden. And with his father being considered one of the greatest college football coaches, he had a front-row seat to soak up as much coaching knowledge as possible. Terry Bowden might have gotten a bit of an advantage from his last name, but he worked hard for his success, especially at Auburn.

“When I got to Auburn, I was really at a peak as far as play calling. I had spent ten years calling the plays myself, and I got to Auburn at the right time to know how to do what I was doing. But then, at the end of Auburn, I became a little disillusioned with the whole aspect of just winning football games and everything will take care of itself; that wasn’t necessarily the case.”

Bowden hit the ground running in his first year as head coach of the tigers. In 1993 he led Auburn to a perfect 11-0 season, becoming the first coach to go undefeated in his debut season at a Division I university. Bowden would take home a slew of coaching awards, including the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year and Paul “Bear” Bryant Award.

Despite leading the Tigers to the SEC championship game in 1997 and losing a close one to Hall of Fame quarterback and SEC legend Peyton Manning and the Tennessee Volunteers, Bowden would be let go midway through the 1998 year after starting the season 1-5. His departure from Auburn almost instantly sent him into the broadcasting booth.

“As I look back, I probably ran to TV. I probably moved toward TV wanting to stay in football but getting away from a little bit of where I was. And I love TV. There’s not many Bowdens that don’t like a microphone. But as I turned 50, I looked in the mirror, I said ‘you know what I was good at coaching football.’ This will be the 12th year on my second venture and it’s been more special the second time through because it really is about the players. It’s not about me. It’s about the players. We like to say that. We don’t mean it a lot. I’m getting to enjoy that part ’cause that’s what makes it really special.”

From this interview, it appears that Bowden has rekindled his love for a coach in the game of football. He is currently the head coach at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and is entering his second season at the helm. Despite growing 4-8 in his inaugural year, Bowden appears to be happy and in a much better mental state of mind.