I was involved with the coaching search. I represent several of the more prominent FSU boosters. I know exactly how that program operated. You are a clueless troll. Bobby had zero control over Jimbo. Jimbo picked the recruits, managed the practices, and handled game day. Bobby didn't even know the names of half of his players. Jimbo and his agent were adamant about having control over the direction of the program while he was the coach in waiting. I love Bobby personally, but he was on honorary status at that point.
clueless troll?
let me get this straight "you were involved with the coaching search"... what search is there? jimbo was named head coach in waiting. there was never any question who the next hc was going to be. you will find no one to back up your story. nice try, bud, but I think we all know this is simply not true.
Kid, stay out of the big boys' conversations. Jimbo did not all of sudden one day pop up in Tallahassee and submit an application to be the HCIW.
can't handle the facts, so he tries to belittle me. classic overcompensation for a weak argument filled with holes and lies.
I suggest you read this before you mud up this thread anymore.
http://www.canesinsight.com/threads/61730-PLEASE-READ-New-Moderating-System
thanks
I was young once. I remember what it was like to think I knew everything. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you are a Canes fan and provide you some history.
As early as 2003, two of the biggest FSU donors were pushing to get Bobby out. I did not represent them but I knew them very, very well -- I spent many years in Tallahassee. Everyone else who mattered, however, were die hard supporters, including the President of the University to the President of the Boosters.
Even as the FSU slide continued, there was no real call to fire Bowden. The President and the Boosters thought Bobby would graciously exit after a successful season. Charlie Barnes was the President of the Boosters at the time and a huge Bowden guy, as were all of his influential Pike fraternity brothers. People don't understand how powerful the FSU Pike alum network is in Tallahassee, but sufficed to say it permeates every inch of that school, town, and the Legislature. And most of those guys came through FSU as Pikes when Bowden was a god. So, it was **** near impossible to get any traction to forcibly remove Bowden, especially with Wetherall running the show.
But, as you know, things continued to go south. After getting rammed in the *** by Miami for 5 years, Urban took the baton and continued to run a train on FSU. The donations continued a precipitous drop. Consequently, the Boosters felt the heat. This lead to a groundswell of support to replace Bowden, now led by the Boosters. I won't say who, but a few of Bowden's closest confidants approached him to gauge his plans. He was absolutely noncommittal about retiring and continued to operate under the (false) presumption that TK had given him a lifetime contract. Once it was clear that he would not bow out on his own, a plan was set in motion to recruit the next head coach through back channels.
I have direct knowledge of this entire process, though I was not privy to all the details. But, essentially, all two options were on the table: (1) fire Bowden and replace him with a big, big name; or, (2) entice a major coaching prospect to come on board as a coach in waiting. FSU sent out feelers to MAJOR active head coaches to gauge their interest. I was told some of the biggest names in football were interested (I was not told who). But almost everyone of those candidates, to a man, balked at the idea of pulling a Jimmy Johnson and replacing a legend after being fired. One agent told me the general rationale was that such a scenario set up the new coach for failure. The backlash to firing Bowden would have been huge locally. So, his replacement would be expected to markedly improve the team's success in a very short otherwise the move would backfire and heads would roll. And he was right.
Thus, everyone agreed the only way to accomplish their goal (get some finality as to when Bowden would be out) and protect their own jobs was to go the coach-in waiting route. Enter Jimbo Fisher.
The negotiations with Jimbo were complex, long, and very confidential. Jimbo knew he was primed to make the jump to a major, major program within two years. But, he LOVED the CIW proposal -- as did the Boosters eventually -- for two reasons. First, it created room/time for FSU to make it appear as if Bowden signed off on the deal and was willingly leaving after his two year tour. Trust me, they did not do Bobby right during this process. He was not fully apprised of the details. Second, it allowed Jimbo to put his system in place while Bowden was ostensibly in control. If FSU continued in mediocrity during those two years, the blame would not fall on Jimbo. To the contrary, it would provide further support for Bowden's retirement. And that's exactly what happened.
The two year window was not arbitrary. It was thoroughly considered and Jimbo believed that it would take two years to set up his system and change the recruiting to make it consistent with that system. That is why Jimbo had a provision in his contact that entitled him to a lump sum payment of $5MM if he was not the head coach after two years. (That was another slick move by the Boosters -- they knew that if all else failed, the school could fall back on the $5MM obligation as a practical reason requiring Bowden's outster.)
Only two hiccups with the plan. First, Bowden dug his heels in and became increasingly offended by the notion he was being forced out. Second, Jimbo was basically provided complete control. And Bowden's old guard did not like that. While Jimbo could not fire Bowden's coaches (about his only limitation), they knew they had to ultimately listen to Jimbo (and they also knew that Jimbo would soon replace them). Towards the end, it just got ugly between the coaches.
All of this is fact. I've known Bowden for many years. He's a great man. But once Jimbo stepped foot on that campus, he was not in charge of that program. Anyone who thinks Jimbo started from scratch four years ago is simply uninformed. I am not.
