Questions About Future Loom For JoePa, Bowden - The Postgame Pub

Sweets · 08-17-2008, 07:15 AM

Separated by 800 miles and styles that are about as far apart, Florida State's Bobby Bowden and Penn State's Joe Paterno are stuck together by winning and retirement rumors.Both are Hall of Fame coaches. Bowden has won 373 games; Paterno 372. They are Nos. 1 and 2 on the all-time list of the winningest major college coaches.

The virtual deadlock has gone on for years, and - on the face of it - 2008 should be no different. Neither coach has signaled that this season will be his last on the sideline.
But here's where it gets interesting. Florida State has a succession in place for whenever the 78-year-old Bowden does retire. The 81-year-old Paterno is in the last year of his contract, and talks between the coach and university about his future are on hold until after the season ends.

"A lot of schools, I don't know how many, have done the same thing since we did,'' Bowden said recently in referring to the plan that Florida State put in place last December, naming offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher as coach-in-waiting. Paterno, meanwhile, has told recruits and the media for years that he hopes his successor comes from his current staff - just like when a then-assistant Paterno took over in 1966 from mentor Rip Engle.

But there's been no decision with administrators on a succession plan, let alone how much longer Paterno will coach. The most recent round of talks between Paterno and university president Graham Spanier hit an impasse in April, and both sides said the issue wouldn't be addressed again until after the 2008 campaign. Both sides said JoePa doesn't need something in writing to keep coaching.

Source: AP

08-17-2008, 07:15 AM	#1 (permalink)
Sweets WHAAAA No one does their job WHAAA Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1,145 vCash: 0 Donate Rep Power: 0 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 1	Questions About Future Loom For JoePa, Bowden Separated by 800 miles and styles that are about as far apart, Florida State's Bobby Bowden and Penn State's Joe Paterno are stuck together by winning and retirement rumors.Both are Hall of Fame coaches. Bowden has won 373 games; Paterno 372. They are Nos. 1 and 2 on the all-time list of the winningest major college coaches. The virtual deadlock has gone on for years, and - on the face of it - 2008 should be no different. Neither coach has signaled that this season will be his last on the sideline. But here's where it gets interesting. Florida State has a succession in place for whenever the 78-year-old Bowden does retire. The 81-year-old Paterno is in the last year of his contract, and talks between the coach and university about his future are on hold until after the season ends. "A lot of schools, I don't know how many, have done the same thing since we did,'' Bowden said recently in referring to the plan that Florida State put in place last December, naming offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher as coach-in-waiting. Paterno, meanwhile, has told recruits and the media for years that he hopes his successor comes from his current staff - just like when a then-assistant Paterno took over in 1966 from mentor Rip Engle. But there's been no decision with administrators on a succession plan, let alone how much longer Paterno will coach. The most recent round of talks between Paterno and university president Graham Spanier hit an impasse in April, and both sides said the issue wouldn't be addressed again until after the 2008 campaign. Both sides said JoePa doesn't need something in writing to keep coaching. Source: AP