Jimbo Fisher could succeed Florida St coach Bobby Bowden

 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Jimbo Fisher could be the answer to a long-standing question at Florida State: Who will succeed coach Bobby Bowden?
Terms of Bowden’s new contract will be revealed Monday, the school said, amid a report that says Fisher – Bowden’s offensive coordinator – will take over when the 78-year-old Bowden retires.
Bowden’s agreement, however, would allow him to coach for as long as he wants, according to his attorney, Russ Campbell of Birmingham, Ala.
On Tuesday, university president T.K. Wetherell told boosters in Jacksonville, Fla., that he was working on a deal to keep Fisher.
Florida State officials wouldn’t comment on an ESPN report Wednesday that Fisher has agreed to a three-year deal for just under $1 million per year to succeed Bowden. The report also said that if Fisher is not named coach upon Bowden’s retirement, the school would pay Fisher a multimillion-dollar buyout.
Fisher, who has never been a head coach, came to Florida State earlier this year from LSU to replace Bowden’s son, Jeff. His name has been connected to several current openings.
Bowden’s 373 career wins – the most among major college coaches – are two more than Penn State’s Joe Paterno, who turns 81 on Dec. 21.
Bowden has 300 wins at Florida State, where he has won a pair of national championships and 12 Atlantic Coast Conference titles during his 32 years at the school.
Bowden, whose present five-year contract expires in early January, was paid $2,023,689.15 in 2006, state records show.