Tommy Bowden

Son of legendary football coach Bobby Bowden, Tommy Bowden grew up on the sidelines of college football games. He continued in the “family business” in 1977 following his collegiate playing career at West Virginia by working as a graduate assistant coach for his alma mater. For the next 18 years, Bowden moved around the country as an assistant coach for several major college football teams, mainly serving as a positional coach in the SEC. In 1997 he was given the head coaching position at Tulane University where in two seasons he turned the program around with a combined 18-4 record and a number 10 ranking in the country. In 1999 he took over the head coaching position at Clemson University where he remained through the 2008 season. Bowden took his Clemson teams to a bowl game every season he was there with the exception of 2004 when his team declined an invitation due to a late season brawl with rival South Carolina. His career coaching record was at 90-49 in 2008 when his team got off to a 3-3 start and he stepped down as head coach of the Tigers.