What FSU’s Bobby Bowden meant to Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly
Brian Kelly never met Bobby Bowden, but he didn't have to.
The late Bowden made a profound impact on the 12th-year Notre Dame head coach's career without ever coming into contact with him.
Bowden coached Florida State for 34 seasons from 1976-2009. He died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 91 on Aug. 8.
Sunday’s 2021 season opener between Florida State and Notre Dame (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) will be the first game played on Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium without Bowden being able to grace the venue with his presence or support the Seminoles from home.
Naturally, Florida State will pay great tribute to the man who made the program as iconic as it is today. Florida State never had a double-digit win season before Bowden's arrival. Bowden went 10-2 in his second season in Tallahassee and recorded 17 10-plus win seasons thereafter, including a string of 14 in a row from 1987-2000.
"His influence on coaching was real," Kelly said on Thursday. "The thing that stood out to me, first and foremost, was longevity at one school. Being committed to that school and building a winning program. A program that won every single year. And that's so impressive to do it year in and year out."
It's no surprise Kelly was intrigued by Bowden's dedication to Florida State. He's had the same type of dedication to Notre Dame for 12 years and counting. Kelly will tie Knute Rockne for the longest tenure in Notre Dame history if he continues to coach the Fighting Irish for a 13th season in 2022.
"I think the second thing is, for me, he started at a small school and then moved Florida State into national prominence," Kelly said.
Bowden coached at West Virginia from 1970-75. The Mountaineers were independent at the time, and not independent in the same vein as Notre Dame. West Virginia was Independent because, like Kelly said, it was a small program that didn't have the pedigree to jump to a conference yet.
Kelly's first head coaching job came at an even smaller school — Division II Grand Valley State. He moved on to Central Michigan and Cincinnati before finally settling in at Notre Dame. Kelly has immense respect for working one's way up the ladder.
"And then his relationship with his players," Kelly said. "I think he goes down as one of those icons in coaching as having that fatherly, mentor relationship with his players that many, many coaches would love to have with their players."
Kelly, of course, has tried to embody that himself in South Bend.
Sunday's game will be about more than just Bowden, especially for Notre Dame. The Irish are trying to start their quest for a third College Football Playoff appearance in the last four seasons.
But from a pregame ceremony to a logo on the field and on the helmets of Florida State players, Bowden is certainly going to leave a mark on the evening. Just as he did on Kelly without ever having met him.
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