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Abstract
The college coach is a media enigma, with many coaches having their own television and radio shows and demanding high yearly salaries. However, beyond the financial rewards and media attention, the accolades of fame extend beyond the boundaries of the sidelines that they occupy. Collegiate coaches are public figures and community leaders, product spokespersons and college representatives. The more successful the coach, the more the media pursues and the more the name becomes a household one. It is my contention that we should seek to learn from those that have been labeled successful, superior and even legendary in the realms of coaching. Through the research method of biography, the career path and subsequent interpretations and understandings that can be drawn can aid in the development of future coaches and educators. It was with this purpose that this study attracted Coach Bobby Bowden, the head football coach of Florida State University, as a participant. Coach Bobby Bowden has amassed 342 wins on the Division I collegiate football stage (the most ever by a coach), two National Championships and numerous accolades, including Coach of the Year honors. Through the examination of Coach Bowdens career, this study utilized biographical research methods and interprets Bowdens fifty-one year career through a thematic approach. Bowdens biography is divided into two parts. Part I: The What, How and Why of FSU and Bobby Bowden, details Bowdens present coaching roles (Chapter One), belief in organization and preparation (Chapter Two) and the elements of coaching that have provided the foundations of his success (Chapter Three). In contrast, Part II: Life Changes and Learned Lessons, examines and contextualizes Bowdens career. Chapter Four introduces the impact of legislation, governance and changes in society. Chapters Five, Six and Seven progressively focus on Bowden himself. Chapter Five discusses the individuals that have mentored, educated and impacted Bowdens career. In Chapter Six, eight short stories are presented. Each story represents a major event or experience in Bowdens life that continues to impact his career choices and decisions. In the final chapter, Religion, Family, Football and Then?, examines Bowdens priorities and lifelong beliefs with reference to the church, his family and Bowden as an individual. All-in-all this text examines the biography of a man that has been extremely successful within the realms of college football through an interpreted thematic text grounded in the research methods of biographical research.