Five questions: Terry Bowden

By Ken Sugiura

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

After 10 years in broadcasting, Terry Bowden returned to football coaching last year at Division II North Alabama. In his first season, Bowden led the Lions to an 11-2 record, losing in the quarterfinals of the NCAA playoffs. Bowden, who is 122-55-2 in 16 seasons at four different schools, spoke with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about coaching in Division II, spring practice and his famous dad, former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden. Answers were edited for length.

Q: How much does a team's spring practice reflect its prospects for the fall?

A: I think the correlation is not whether you're able to execute the offense or execute the defense. It's the work habits. I think the work habits you develop in the spring and the fundamentals that you establish or don't establish in the spring are the ones that get you in the fall. For instance, we were trying to run the ball a little more, but we don't have a lot of tight ends on the roster, but we had to work on it because the other positions had to get better. We didn't run it better, but I think we got better.

Q: How is your father doing?

A: Just staying busy. He speaks to Fellowship of Christian Athletes, church groups. Now he's speaking professionally to companies all over the country. Dad's got a lot of energy. He's got the same as Joe Paterno. I think health-wise, my dad saw himself as never stopping. ... I don't think he's really stopping at all. That's why he stays busy. So many people want him to talk to their groups.

Q: You've obviously coached at Division I-A at Auburn, but also at other levels. Could a playoff system work in I-A?

A: I think playoffs would be great for Division I-A football. It's been great for everyone else. I think you should have them. There's no reason we cannot have bowls included and use those in the process of having playoffs. There's no question Division I-A football should be played in a playoff. That's the only way to have a national champion.

Q: How would you organize it?

A: You always hear four (teams), but I'm a big proponent that you start at eight. You start at eight, take seven top bowls, you go to the Saturday and Sunday closest to Christmas and you play two games on Saturday, two games on Sunday. So you have the top eight games playing four games in four top bowls, then the four winners play two games on Jan. 1 and the national championship is played on the eighth.

It would be the top seven bowls and, just like the BCS they have now, you would take those bowls or whichever bowls bid for those games. Every year they could rotate those things around. The other dates, the other bowls exist just like the NIT does.

Q: How is recruiting different in Division I-A and Division II?

A: If you're BCS level or a top 50, you're recruiting the recruits everybody's talking about around the country. When you're Division II, you're taking out those guys so you don't waste your time. You're recruiting the very best of the second layer.

It's evaluating talent yourself and knowing what you're looking for because you're not going to read about them in any periodicals.

Around February, right before signing day, late January, you kind of get a feel. The kids are starting to listen to you. If you're recruiting the best kids, they don't want to talk to you in September or in the summer before their senior year. They're probably being told they're Division I or SEC players. You can't talk to them. It makes you look bad (in their eyes). You really have to sit back and wait. You have to make sure you don't go after those kids too early.