Swinney says Bobby Bowden claimed him as one of his own, would be OK with record

Dabo Swinney can break Bobby Bowden's record for wins as an ACC coach at FSU. (Photo credit: © Ken Ruinard / staff, The Greenville News via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

David Hood - Senior Writer - Tuesday, October 01 2024

CLEMSON – Dabo Swinney has a chance to break one of Bobby Bowden’s records this week, on a field named after the iconic Florida State coach, but Swinney thinks Bowden would smile about it. After all, Swinney has written proof that he’s a part of the Bowden family.

Bowden, who passed away in 2021, won over 300 games as Florida State’s head coach, but not all of those victories came with the Seminoles as members of the ACC. Bowden coached Florida State from 1976 to 1991, when it was still independent.

With 173 career wins, Swinney enters the game tied with Bowden, a College Football Hall of Famer, for the conference record for career head coaching victories leading an ACC program. A win on Saturday on Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium would push Swinney past Bowden into sole possession of the ACC record.

A win would also push Swinney past the win totals of College Football Hall of Famers Robert Neyland (173-31-12) and Frank Solich (173-101).

Swinney was named Clemson’s interim head coach following the departure of Tommy Bowden, Bobby’s son, in October of 2008, and Clemson beat Boston College in Chestnut Hill on November 1st for Swinney’s first win. Up next was a November 8th date at Doak Campbell against the Seminoles.

It didn’t take long for Bobby Bowden to call Swinney.

“Obviously, we had just got our first win at Boston College, and that was a surreal trip because obviously I'm an interim coach, and Tommy Bowden was the coach (he replaced),” Swinney said. “Coach Bowden, Bobby, he called me the night of the interim and just was like, ‘Hey, all the Bowdens are pulling for you,’ even though I know we're going to play them in a couple of weeks. It was just this weird, weird dynamic. And then I just remember being kind of nervous before the game. You have to go meet Bobby Bowden. And obviously, I knew him, but I'd never been in this role.

“And he was amazing. He was so gracious and just kind. In fact, my mom had come to that game, and she'd gone to dinner that Friday night, and Bobby Bowden was at the same restaurant. I guess he went out to a restaurant on Friday nights or something. But I remember just had a little Will (Swinney's oldest son) with me. I have a picture in my office of Will and Bobby Bowden and me, and at that point, I had one career win, the one at Boston College, and I literally have a picture in my office. It's just this surreal moment of, again, I don't know if I'm going to be a coach. I don't know if I'm going to be the coach here in three weeks.”

Swinney said he thinks Bowden would be happy with Swinney breaking the record. Even if it’s at Bobby Bowden Field. Why? Because Swinney is part of the Bowden family.

“Honestly, if Bobby Bowden could ‘poof’ and pop down here with his hat on, he'd probably smile. We are both from Birmingham. He went to Woodlawn High. My mom went to Woodlawn High. We were friends,” Swinney said. “So I don't know, if God blesses us, if that happens, I think Coach Bowden would be fine. In fact, he kind of claims me, I've got a great letter in my office. He kind of claims me as one of his own. He said, ‘I hope that doesn't offend you.’ That's kind of how he wrote the letters. ‘I just see you as one of my own.’ And so I think that's one of the greatest compliments that I've ever gotten.

“And I've got voicemails from him, even to this day that I've kept where he's long after he was done playing that he would just call to encourage me. He's a big letter writer. There's probably a lot of people out there that got some letters from Bobby Bowden. He was a big letter writer and I got a couple of 'them framed that just mean a lot to me that he took the time to encourage me over the years. And hey, it may happen, I may get the record, but Bobby Bowden, he's still the best.”