Akron Zips
Head coach terry bowden
Bowden was again a finalist for coach of the year following his second season at Auburn as the Tigers had reeled off 20-straight wins, an Auburn record, and finished 9-1-1. He posted a 47-17-1 record at Auburn and led the Tigers to three bowl games.
During his time away from coaching, Bowden first served as a studio analyst and color commentator with ABC Sports’ college football coverage. He was also an analyst for Westwood One Radio’s College Football National Game of Week, co-hosted “The Coaches Show” on Sirius Satellite Radio with Jack Arute, and was the exclusive college football columnist for Yahoo! Sports.
His brother Tommy had an 18-4 record in two seasons as head coach at Tulane and a 72-45 record in 10 seasons as head coach at Clemson, taking the Tigers to eight bowl games. His brother Jeff also has 25 years of collegiate coaching experience, working at Salem, Samford, Southern Mississippi, Florida State and most recently at North Alabama, with Terry. During the decade of the 1990s, Terry, Tommy and Bobby all led their teams to undefeated seasons.
• 100th COLLEGIATE WIN: Bowden got his 100th win in 1996 in the Independence Bowl against Army, 32-29. He became the first Division I coach in 50 years to win his 100th game by his 40th birthday. • POST-SEASON RECORD: Bowden has led 10 of his previous 19 squads to postseason play and he has a 7-9 all-time record. He is 0-2 in the NAIA Playoffs, 2-2 in the Division I-AA playoffs, 3-3 in the Division II playoffs, 2-1 in bowl games and 0-1 in conference championship games. • LONGEST WINNING STREAK: Bowden won his first 20 games as head coach at Auburn University from 1993-94. He also won his first 10 consecutive games as head coach at North Alabama. • EIGHT OR MORE WINS: In 13 of his 19 total seasons as a head coach, Bowden has led his teams to eight or more wins. In nine of those years, his teams won nine or more games and he has led 11 teams to post-season competition.
Staff 2012 Review
As a student-athlete at West Virginia, Bowden lettered two years as a running back (1977-78), held a 3.65 grade-point average in accounting, the highest GPA on the football team, and graduated Magna Cum Laude.
• FIRST COLLEGIATE WIN: In 1983 as head coach at Salem, 24-9 over West Virginia State. Salem lost the first seven games of the season but won the last three.
Student-Athletes
Bowden is a member of one of the most famous and successful college football coaching families. His father, Bobby Bowden, turned Florida State into a national champion and his 389 collegiate wins rank first in Division I history.
• FIRST GAME AS HEAD COACH: As head coach of Salem College in 1983 - lost 33-7 at Central State (Ohio).
Akron Football
Bowden, 57 (born Feb. 25, 1956), was an assistant coach at Akron in 1986 under then Zips’ head coach Gerry Faust.
TERRY BOWDEN’S COACHING SUPERLATIVES:
He did post graduate work at Oxford University in England, and earned a Juris Doctorate from the Florida State School of Law in 1982, while a graduate assistant coach with the Seminoles. Bowden has five daughters (Tera, Jordan, Erin, Cori and Jamie) and one son (Terry, Jr.). He is one of 59 coaches at FBS schools that vote in the USA Today top-25 poll.
records
2013 University of Akron Football • 51