Jimbo Fisher shares what he learned from Bobby Bowden

Former Florida State and Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher learned a lot about coaching from the legendary Bobby Bowden. Recently, he shared some of the lessons that he learned from Bowden.

During an appearance on Pardon My Take, Fisher praised Bowden for his coaching ability and who he was as a person too.

“First, let me say, I was so blessed to be there,” Jimbo Fisher said. “Their family took me in like a son. I played for Terry [Bowden] and I got to go spend time when they would visit Florida State, they would take me when I was playing and coaching. I would stay at their house. I would stay at Bobby’s house and go to practice. I would go to bowl games. They would get me a room.”

To help illustrate his point, Fisher used a story from early in his days as a coach and learned about offensive football from one of the masters in the sport.

“When I was the OC at Samford, I was 23 or 24 at the time, we went to the national playoffs. I remember going to there year I got the job they were playing Penn State in the Blockbuster Bowl. Put me in a room and I got to go listen to Coach Bowden organize a meeting all week. Just sitting back. Just listening to him call games with a headset on. I would sit and not be able to talk and just listen to him call plays. But Bobby was genuine. He was honest. I think he’s the greatest person that ever walked the sideline. I don’t mean that in any disrespect to anybody else. He was such a godly man in who he was every day, what he did every day, the role he played.”

Jimbo Fisher also emphasized that he worries that people don’t realize both how dominant Bobby Bowden’s Florida State teams were and that it took time to build them to that point.

“And, I’m gonna tell you this, in today’s time, Bobby, to make Florida State from ’87 to 2000 they went 14 straight years being in the Top 5 and won 10 or more games when he was only playing 11. That was that run, from 1987 till then. If you remember from 1980 to ’86 we lost six in a row to Florida and he only beat Miami once or twice and he had never had a record better than 9-3 as he built Florida State. That was after he went to two Orange Bowls in ’79 and ’80 with Ron Simmons. You might not even be coaching in today’s world because they get rid of, and he had to establish Florida State as a winner and it took him time. He was 7-4, 8-3, and he took those years. But then, once ’87 hit, and those ’79, ’80 teams were great teams. They played back-to-back Orange Bowls, but he took off and won.”

Ultimately, Fisher explained that the greatest strength of Bowden was who he was as a person and lamented that he’s not better remembered by young players today.

“But Bobby was the most genuine, honest person. And he had all things in perspective, it was God, family, and ball, and I was so blessed to be around him and learn how to do things the right way. He could sit with you and me for five minutes and you’d think you knew him for 10 years. He never put himself above you. He knew who he was as a human being. He was God first, family second, ball third. It’s said, you’re right, I’ll say something to kids, say Coach Bowden. ‘Who’s that, Coach?’ I mean, we forget so quick in our society about how successful. That guy won. At the time was winningest coach in college football history. 380 something games and national championships and played for so many and did it at a school that didn’t have very many before that. Florida State wasn’t a football rich school. Never even started playing football until like ’48 or ’49. It was a girls’ school until then, believe it or not,” Fisher said.

“What he did, to me, he did more at that school than he accomplished in any man in the history of college football. He was the best gentleman who ever did it, a winner. To me, he’s the top coach I’ve ever been around and his family, Jeff, Terry, Tommy, just all his family and his kids, they treated me like a brother and a son and I was so blessed to be at early ages with him. And you’re right, people don’t appreciate what Bobby Bowden did and who he was as a human being and who he was as a coach and what he meant. And, man, he was fun to call a game. When I got to coach with him, be around him, he could call any play on any down and distance man. He would let it fly. He had the guts. I mean, think the fumblerooski, when you’re fourth and 10 in a tie game with a minute 50 to go at Clemson on your own 20 and you he hit the puntrooski that won that game and won the national. I mean, things he did. He was an amazing coach, amazing person.”

Prior to Bowden’s retirement, Fisher would act as his offensive coordinator at Florida State. He would later replace him as head coach.