Transcription of Bowdens interview

TRANSCRIPTION OF FSU'S SATELLITE FEED INTERVIEW TODAY WITH COACH BOBBY BOWDEN

Opening Statement:

"Nothing lasts forever, does it? But I've had some wonderful years here at Florida State, you know it. Hadn't done as good lately as I wish I could have, but I've had wonderful years, no regrets."

On some of the players he has coached:

"There are so many players, I'd really hate to start mentioning them all. There's been so many great players through our program. I've had quite a few calls today from them, who's gotten wind of this. And then somebody says, 'any great game?' Well, they're all great. Well there were some pretty dadgum big ones. We won our share, we didn't win them all, but we did win our share."

On the immediate future:

"I'll coach until the bowl game. I think my contract is good until the fourth of January and so I'll coach until the bowl. I met our players today at 2:15, told them and then we made a release. So it's not like I'm telling them goodbye because I'll be with them now until the bowl game."

On how he is doing:

"You know something like this is going to happen. If it didn't happen now it would be happening this time next year, but it's happening now. As long as my family is happy, that's the main thing. So I'll go out and make a lot of talks now and tell everybody how good I was."

Were the decisions over the last couple days an adversarial relationship between Florida State and you?

"No it was not, it was a case of the president (T.K. Wetherell) coming down to see me and talking. He and I had met earlier in the year and we said we'll sit, after the season we'd sit and discuss it. Very amiable. I told him I'd go home and talk to Ann and decide what I ought to do, and so that's what I've done."

On the coach in waiting decision:

"I talked to Jimbo (Fisher) yesterday and told him what I was going to do, you know? And wish him luck and I'll do anything I can to help him and Florida State. I'll just be pulling so hard for Florida State, especially these boys next year."

On his family:

"Well, you know, when you do something like this, you wonder how it will affect your family because they are all worried about their old man. They don't have to worry about me. Of course I want them to be happy. We're going to be happy. Now, you know I have to go out and get a job? Can you believe that? I've got to go get a job. I ain't had a job in 55 years. But Ann and I will get a chance to spend a little bit more time together. Of course I want to go out and speak. Speak to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and different churches invite me and things like that. I think maybe I can do some good there."

On his wife Ann being a head coach's wife:

"It's tough on her. You know because I'm gone so dadgum much. I mean, I remember when our boys were coming up and all of them were playing football, I'd be out 100 miles down the road looking at someone else's son, you know? I regretted that. I wish I could watch my own boys play, you know? But Ann held everything together when I was on the road, did a tremendous job. Any success that my teams have had is because of my teams, and my coaches, and my family's support."

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