by Bobby Mathews, sports editor
BIRMINGHAM — Samford University will honor its most famous graduate Sunday when former Bulldog player and coach Bobby Bowden will lie in repose in Reid Chapel on campus this Sunday, August 15, from 4-6 p.m., the University announced.
Bowden, who died at 91 following a battle with pancreatic cancer, was a Birmingham native who played at Woodlawn High School. After a brief sojourn with The University of Alabama, Bowden returned to Birmingham before he transferred to Howard College. Howard, of course, later became Samford University.
After four years as the coach for Howard, Bowden was hired by West Virginia University where he led the Mountaineers for six years before moving on to Florida State. Bowden remained the Seminole head coach for 34 years.
In his 44-year head coaching career, Bowden accumulated 389 wins, but 12 were vacated by the NCAA following an academic scandal leaving him with a total of 377. The total is second only to Joe Paterno’s 409 wins in the FBS.
Publisher Scott Buttram contributed to this report.
