MKRob Sports

Terry Bowden is back in coaching at Division II North Alabama, his first head coaching job since he left Auburn in 1998. Kevin Scarbinsky of The Birmingham News has an excellent piece looking at Bowden’s return to the college football sidelines.

For one, Bowden brought his brother, Jeff, with him. Jeff, as you remember, was a lightning rod of controversy up in Tallahassee as the offensive coordinator at FSU for their father, Bobby.

Jeff was forced to resign two years ago and is working as an unpaid assistant for Terry, thanks to a $537,000 financial settlement with FSU.

All Jeff would say on the matter was, “I’m most excited about working with Terry. That was the whole reason I came up here.”

Terry has a bit more to say on the subject.

“Jeff got blamed for everything,” Terry said. “What he got butchered on, my dad needs to stand up, wave his hands and say, ‘I’m the guy that was running that ship.’”

Among the other highlights of the interview:

– Bowden had wristbands made for players and coaches with the initials “WWCD” — What would a champion do?

“I feel like I’m 30,” he said. “A lot of times, you sit back and say, ‘What did I just do?’ But I’m more excited now than I was when I got here.”

– Bowden is planning a first “Day with the Bowdens” in July when Bobby and his three coaching sons — Terry, Jeff and Tommy — will come to North Alabama and raise money for the school.

– Bowden already has 11 Division I transfers signed or committed to play this fall, including five from FSU (OL Will Furlong is one of them. WR Preston Parker is reported to be headed to UNA, too).