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Continuing coverage of Bobby Bowden’s retirement, final game at the Gator Bowl

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Bobby Bowden’s legendary coaching career at Florida State University is retiring.

Bowden announced his resignation by way of a statement released Tuesday.

As part of his retirement, Bowden is expected to be offered a non-coaching position at FSU for an unspecified amount of time. In addition to any settlement compensation that may be negotiated as part of his retirement, Bowden is also entitled to $1 million upon his retirement as part of a clause in his coaching contract that was agreed upon at least 10 years ago.

For additional stories about Bobby Bowden, please click “Read More” for an almost complete listing of all the stories written about Bowden’s retirement. Here are the latest:

Update – 5:57 p.m. – Once Bobby Bowden stepped down at FSU, commitments began picking up

Update – 5:25 p.m. – ESPN: Florida State has the two highest rated commitments in the country- and both pulled the trigger after Bowden retired.

Update – 5:23 p.m. – Paterno disappointed to see Bowden go

Update – 5:22 p.m. – The most random yet super cool photo of Bobby Bowden, the Heisman trophy and Doak Stadium.

Update – 10:43 a.m. – Bobby Bowden interview transcript

Update – 10:41 a.m. – Rivals.com: FSU back on track?

Update – 10:37 a.m. – Bowden is Birmingham

Update – 10:30 a.m. – ESPN: Bowden: ‘It’s probably best if I get away’

Update – 10:28 a.m. – Bowden speaks to the media about bowls, retirement

Update – 10:27 a.m. – Bobby Bowden describes his end at Florida State a “disappointment,” says he wants to remain active

Update – 7:02 a.m – Bowden’s first TV interview since retiring

Update – 7:01 a.m – Bowden farewell: Gator Bowl already sold out

Update – 10:21 a.m. – Ivan Maisel: Making way for Bowden

Update – 10:17 a.m. – Tomahawk Nation – How will Jimbo Fischer change FSU?

Update – 9:22 a.m. – The Gator Bowl: A family affair

Update – 9:20 a.m. – The major injustice of the Bowl Season

Update – 9:51 p.m. – ESPN: Bowls instant analysis

Update – 9:50 p.m. – Bowden’s coaching farewell slated for Gator Bowl

Update – 1:40 p.m. – A series of lasts begins for Bowden

Update – 1:38 p.m. – Shabby Treatment: Bowden, who put Florida State football on the map, is shoved out the door by bosses

Update – 1:35 p.m. – A few personal recollections from the Bobby Bowden file

Update – 1:34 p.m. – Florida State’s first big post-Bowden splash: getting a verbal commitment from Treasure Coast LB Jeff Luc.

Update – 9:00 a.m. – Hubris bumfuzzled Bowden

Update – 8:56 a.m. – Will CJ Spiller’s finish trump Bobby Bowden’s farewell?

Update – 6:21 p.m. – Remembering Bobby Bowden’s career at Florida State: Sportswriters sound off from across the country

Update – 6:18 p.m. – Pretty nasty article by Diane Roberts: You had to love Bowden’s Southern style of genius

Update – 6:12 p.m. – St. Petersburg Times’ Gary Shelton asking “Anyone else hear the rumor about Bobby Bowden going to Notre Dame?

Update – 6:11 p.m. – The strange, hard world of college football coaching

Update – 6:09 p.m. – USF’s Leavitt suddenly dean of state coaches

Update – 5:56 p.m. – Randy Moss top Bobby Bowden recruit?

Update – 5:49 p.m. – FSU Coach Bowden’s exit signals a cultural shift

Update – 5:47 p.m. – FSU’s Bowden leaves a legacy of leadership

Update – 5:45 p.m. – Florida State’s next head coach, Jimbo Fisher, tells College GameDay he’s “sad and happy”

Update – 5:44 p.m. – Andy Miller: Bowden gave 34 great years

Update – 5:43 p.m. – Panama City News Herald: Everyone has a favorite Bowden story

Update – 4:57 p.m. – Bobby Bowden to ‘Get Away’ from FSU for awhile

Update – 4:44 p.m. – Hocutt: FSU to Gator Bowl `not right’

Update – 3:20 p.m. – Bobby Bowden gets some love in U.S. Senate

Update – 1:48 p.m. – ESPN: Bowden’s legacy goes beyond the game

Update – 12:23 p.m. – Derrick Brooks has fond memories of Bowden at FSU.

Update – 12:21 p.m. – Tampa Trib’s Tom McEwen: So long and happy days, Coach Bobby.

Update – 12:18 p.m. – Video: Bobby Bowden built FSU’s program with style.

Update – 12:14 p.m. – CBS Sports: A few stories before Bowden opens new chapter in life

Update – 12:11 p.m. – Esquire: Bobby Bowden: What I’ve Learned.

Update – 9:15 a.m. – Bobby Bowden’s not the best ever, but he’s close.

Update – 9:13 a.m. – Orlando Sentinel: Gators say goodbye to Bowden.

Update – 9:11 a.m. – Tuesday’s question: Which college football program is more likely to reach expectations quicker, Notre Dame or Florida State?

Update – 9:08 a.m. – Washington Post on Bobby Bowden.

Update – 9:05 a.m. – Mixed emotions for ’Noles fans as Bowden bows out.

Update – 9:03 a.m. – USA Today: Bowden won games, touched lives during his storied career.
Update – 9:52 p.m. – Photos: Bobby Bowden through the years.

Update – 9:48 p.m. – SI: Bobby Bowden was the last of his kind — a charming southern coach

Update – 9:45 p.m. – A new beginning for FSU and Bowden.

Update – 9:11 p.m. – DC Reeves: For Bowden: ‘It’s head versus heart’

Update – 9:09 p.m. – Mike Bianchi: Bobby Bowden doesn’t show up for his own retirement news conference.

Update – 9:06 p.m. – Make no mistake: FSU just fired a legend without explaining why

Update – 8:42 p.m. – Former Florida State players react to Bowden decision.

Update – 8:19 p.m. – A toast to Bobby Bowden.

Update – 8:18 p.m. – Bowden shafts UNC one more time.

Update – 8:14 p.m. – Absolute must-read: Bowden: From the Sick Bed to the End Zone.

Update – 8:11 p.m. – Florida coach Urban Meyer: “You’ll never see a guy [with the] wins he has, 300-something. He’s great for college football. I think him and Joe Pa, enjoy it because you won’t see that one again. At one school and that long a career in this day and age, you just won’t see it. You just admire a guy that had the stamina and did it the right way. That’s the thing you always admire about coach Bowden. He’s always done it the right way.”

Update – 7:49 p.m. – Alabama’s Dave Hart pays tribute to Bobby Bowden’s ‘legacy’ at Florida State.

Update – 6:50 p.m. – Florida Governor Charlie Crist: “Bobby Bowden is undoubtedly one of the greatest football coaches of all time. Throughout his career, Coach Bowden always led his team with heart and character. As a loyal ‘Nole, I think the world of him and wish only the best for him and his family. Florida State University’s football program has been blessed to have him as their coach for the past 34 seasons. God bless you, Coach!”

Update – 6:43 p.m. – Joe Paterno: “Bobby has been a tough competitor. He has meant an awful lot to the universities he coached and to the game of football overall.”

Update – 6:41 p.m. – Sporting News: Top five highlights of Bowden’s tenure at Florida State

Update – 6:37 p.m. – LA Times: Chris Dufresne: On Bobby Bowden, what happens next and … Napoleon?

Update: 5:54 p.m. – South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier: “If you spend 34 years at the same place, you’re doing something right.”

Update: 5:08 p.m. – Miami coach Randy Shannon: “He is college football. The respect is always going to be there. When you look at Coach Bowden, he was a man who always had a lot of integrity. No matter which coach it was at the University of Miami, you could always talk to him and have a good time with a man with a lot of wit, learn a lot from him.”

Update – 3:06 p.m. – Wetherell: “Bobby Bowden contributed in many ways to the overall success and advancement of a young and growing university.”

Uodate – 3:02 p.m. – “We knew what was happening … but to hear it out of his mouth was different,” Ponder said of Bowden’s meeting with the team.

Update – 2:57 p.m. – A look back, Bobby Bowden timeline

Update – 2:54 p.m. – Bowden had an amazing run at FSU

Update – 2:49 p.m. – CNNSI: FSU needed to move on, but this is still an incredibly sad day

Update – 2:48 p.m. – It’s official: Bobby Bowden retires after 34 years at Florida State

Update – 11:08 a.m. – CBS is reporting Bowden will meet with the team at 2:15. Announcement should come after.

Update – 11:07 a.m. – ESPN: FSU to Gator Bowl?

Update – 11:03 a.m. – Bowden says he’ll talk to Florida State football players before making his plans public

Update – 10:56 a.m. – ESPN: PSU avoided Bowden mess with JoePa

Update – 8:49 a.m. – Atlanta Constitution Journal: How I will remember Bobby Bowden

Update – 8:42 a.m. – National media starting to pick up Bowden story, Baltimore Sun and Wall Street Journal report Bowden is out.

Update – 8:39 a.m. – Orange County Register – Appreciating Bobby Bowden

Update – 9:47 p.m. – Video of Bobby Bowden at 2009 ACC Football Kickoff, saying he would be back for 2010.

Update – 9:01 p.m. – AP is quoting Ann Bowden, who says a decision has not been made and “that’s why they’re meeting tomorrow.”

Update – 8:54 p.m. – Dick Vitale (@dickiev) just tweeted: “After 34 years Bowden deserved to be treated better-one more year big deal!”

Update – 8:49 p.m. – Bobby Bowden denies he has decided to retire as Florida State coach

Update – 8:01 p.m.
ESPN: Bowden to retire
Tomahawk Nation: Bobby Bowden to retire Tuesday
USA Today: FSU’s Bowden expected to announce retirement Tuesday

Peter Schorsch is the President of Extensive Enterprises and is the publisher of some of Florida’s most influential new media websites, including SaintPetersBlog.com, FloridaPolitics.com, ContextFlorida.com, and Sunburn, the morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. SaintPetersBlog has for three years running been ranked by the Washington Post as the best state-based blog in Florida. In addition to his publishing efforts, Peter is a political consultant to several of the state’s largest governmental affairs and public relations firms. Peter lives in St. Petersburg with his wife, Michelle, and their daughter, Ella.

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