Sport(s) Football Parents Bobby Bowden, Ann Estock Children Lauren Bowden | Name Tommy Bowden Role American Football coach | |
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Siblings Terry Bowden, Jeff Bowden, Robyn Hines, Steve Bowden, Ginger Madden Nieces Cori Bowden, Jamie Bowden, Tera Bowden, Jordan Bowden, Erin Bowden Similar People |
Tommy bowden talks intensity of clemson fsu rivalry
Tommy Pearce Bowden (born July 10, 1954) is an American football coach who served as the head coach at Clemson University from 1999 until October 13, 2008. He is a son of Bobby Bowden, former head football coach of Florida State University, against whom he has coached in games nicknamed the "Bowden Bowl." He is also a brother of Terry Bowden, currently head football coach of the University of Akron.
Contents
- Tommy bowden talks intensity of clemson fsu rivalry
- Former college coaches barry switzer and tommy bowden look ahead to the fiesta bowl
- Coaching career
- Personal
- Head coaching record
- Coaching tree
- References

Former college coaches barry switzer and tommy bowden look ahead to the fiesta bowl
Coaching career

Before coming to Clemson, Bowden was the head coach at Tulane University, and an assistant at the University of Alabama, Auburn University, Duke University, the University of Kentucky, East Carolina University and, with his father, at Florida State. His 1998 Tulane squad went 12–0 and achieved a top-10 final ranking in both polls. Despite being one of only two undefeated teams in the regular season, Tulane was not even considered for a bid in a Bowl Championship Series game because it was believed they had not played a legitimate schedule.

Bowden was hired as Clemson's head coach before the 1999 season. Bowden's Clemson teams went to a bowl game every year he coached there, except in 2004, when, after a brawl with rival South Carolina, both teams withdrew from bowl consideration for that season. He resigned on October 13, 2008, after leading the team to a disappointing 3–3 record (1–2 ACC) at the midpoint of a season in which the Tigers had been an almost unanimous preseason pick to win their first ACC title under Bowden and were ranked #9 in the preseason polls. Assistant head coach/wide receivers coach Dabo Swinney was named as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Personal

Bowden attended and played football for West Virginia University from 1972 through 1976. He is married to the former Linda White and has two children, Ryan and Lauren. He is a son of former Florida State Seminoles head coach Bobby Bowden and has two sisters and three brothers, including Terry, the head coach at the University of Akron, and Jeff, who serves as an assistant coach on his brother Terry's staff. Bowden is an evangelical Christian. He has openly used his religion as a recruiting tool, saying that his faith “was a tremendous recruiting advantage.”
Head coaching record
*Self-imposed punishment for team fight with South Carolina
‡ Bowden resigned on October 13, 2008.
Coaching tree
Assistant coaches under Tommy Bowden who became NCAA head coaches: