FS
Head coach · Florida State · belt games 1988–2009
Bobby Bowden
735Days with the belt
2Reigns started
23–2Defending it
2–3Challenging for it
Coached Florida State (1988–2009) in seasons with a belt game. 30 belt games in all: 25 with the belt in hand, 5 trying to take it.
Bobby Bowden was on a sideline for 30 belt games between 1988 and 2009, at Florida State. He took the belt twice and held it for 735 days across two reigns, the 12th-most of any head coach in the belt’s history.
The first came on September 17, 1988, Florida State 24–21 over Clemson. The most lopsided was 42–11 over NC State in 1999.
His longest reign ran 385 days with Florida State, beginning September 18, 1999, and was defended 14 times along the way.
Across his career he coached 23 successful defenses, and the belt changed hands under him twice, last when Miami won 27–24 on October 7, 2000.
He also coached three games with the belt on the other sideline and came away without it. The closest was 28–27 to Miami on October 12, 2002.
Reigns
Started under this coach
Every belt game
30 games, newest first
November 28, 2009 · Florida State at Florida 10–37 as challengerlostOctober 12, 2002 · Florida State at Miami 27–28 as challengerlostOctober 13, 2001 · Florida State vs. Miami 27–49 as challengerlostOctober 7, 2000 · Florida State at Miami 24–27 as holderlost the beltSeptember 28, 2000 · Florida State at Maryland 59–7 as holderdefendedSeptember 23, 2000 · Florida State vs. Louisville 31–0 as holderdefendedSeptember 16, 2000 · Florida State vs. North Carolina 63–14 as holderdefendedSeptember 9, 2000 · Florida State at Georgia Tech 26–21 as holderdefendedAugust 26, 2000 · Florida State vs. BYU 29–3 as holderdefendedJanuary 4, 2000 · Florida State vs. Virginia Tech 46–29 as holderdefendedNovember 20, 1999 · Florida State at Florida 30–23 as holderdefendedNovember 13, 1999 · Florida State vs. Maryland 49–10 as holderdefendedOctober 30, 1999 · Florida State at Virginia 35–10 as holderdefendedOctober 23, 1999 · Florida State at Clemson 17–14 as holderdefendedOctober 16, 1999 · Florida State vs. Wake Forest 33–10 as holderdefendedOctober 9, 1999 · Florida State vs. Miami 31–21 as holderdefendedOctober 2, 1999 · Florida State vs. Duke 51–23 as holderdefendedSeptember 25, 1999 · Florida State at North Carolina 42–10 as holderdefendedSeptember 18, 1999 · Florida State vs. NC State 42–11 as challengertook the beltSeptember 2, 1989 · Florida State at Southern Miss 26–30 as holderlost the beltJanuary 2, 1989 · Florida State vs. Auburn 13–7 as holderdefendedNovember 26, 1988 · Florida State vs. Florida 52–17 as holderdefendedNovember 12, 1988 · Florida State vs. Virginia Tech 41–14 as holderdefendedNovember 5, 1988 · Florida State at South Carolina 59–0 as holderdefendedOctober 22, 1988 · Florida State vs. Louisiana Tech 66–3 as holderdefendedOctober 15, 1988 · Florida State vs. East Carolina 45–21 as holderdefendedOctober 8, 1988 · Florida State vs. Georgia Southern 28–10 as holderdefendedOctober 1, 1988 · Florida State at Tulane 48–28 as holderdefendedSeptember 24, 1988 · Florida State vs. Michigan State 30–7 as holderdefendedSeptember 17, 1988 · Florida State at Clemson 24–21 as challengertook the belt
Head coaches from the College Football Data API’s coaching records, matched by team and season. A reign counts for the coach in charge the season it began; a mid-season change isn’t split.