Note to Jay Jacobs: Please contact University of North Alabama athletic director Mark Linder for advice on conducting a coaching search. Perhaps Linder could teach you how to make a splash with a new hire. That’s exactly what Linder accomplished at the Division II school just down the road.
On New Year’s Day, UNA introduced Terry Bowden as its new head football coach. That’s right. UNA landed Terry Bowden. You know, the same guy that replaced Pat Dye at Auburn.
I know, many of you probably had the same reaction I did when I found out late Wednesday afternoon—“Terry Bowden? Really? Are you kidding me?”
It was a monumental hire for UNA—one that created statewide buzz while exciting an entire fan base. What Bowden brings to the table: UNA has never experienced anything like it.
As the son of legendary Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, the recent UNA hire has a strong football pedigree. Bowden also brings an impressive resume. At Auburn—where he won his first 20 games—Bowden was named National Coach of the Year after the Tigers went 13-0 in 1993. So in a nutshell, Bowden is the biggest name UNA could have hired. And based on the public reaction in Florence on Thursday, the Lions’ fan base is thrilled about its new head coach. As a UNA alum, I know I am. And rightfully so. Bowden has the potential to carry this already tradition-rich program to new heights. Everyone knows it. But just when can fans expect it? Well, Bowden didn’t really know himself.
“The championship won’t come fast enough for me or you,” Bowden told the crowd as he smiled. “It’s been since 1995. All I know is that I understand the urgencies of the situation and that we’ve got a dang good program. I think what we need is to be after it every year. I can’t tell you this will be the year we get it but I know they’ve been the last four years and we don’t have far to go. We’ve got to be after it now. I will say it’s somewhere around now.”
Landing a big-name coach like Bowden will boost UNA’s recruiting. It will also help the program get more regional and national media attention. That’s why this was a good hire for UNA—even if Bowden leaves after few years. After all, who could expect a big name coach like that to stick around long?
When Bowden was introduced at the public press conference on Thursday, he was greeted with a standing ovation from hundreds of UNA fans in attendance. It was a warm welcome for the new UNA coach—one that says the program’s fan base is pleased with Linder’s new hire.
Jacobs wanted a similar response when Gene Chizik was named Auburn’s new head coach last month. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. When the Chizik story broke, a large portion of Auburn fans immediately began to vent their frustrations—criticizing Jacobs for a less-than-spectacular coaching search that ended with an underwhelming hire. Needless to say, naming Chizik as Auburn’s new head coach did not create the splash Jacobs hoped for. If anything, the public reaction was negative.
UNA trumped Auburn with its search for a new head football coach. Who would’ve ever thought that could happen?
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UNA makes big splash with Bowden hiring
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