The Bowden Dynasty

From 1987 to 2000 the Florida State Seminoles won the hearts of America and thrilled their fans with fourteen consecutive ten-win, top-five seasons. In seven of those seasons they lost only one game. More often than not, the players’ quest for a perfect season came down to one play where mere inches or seconds determined the outcome.

This special collection of essays spotlights the extraordinary strength of Coach Bobby Bowden’s leadership and character, providing entertaining insight into the national landscape surrounding Florida State football in the fourteen-year dynasty era.

Author Charlie Barnes served as executive director and senior vice president of Seminole Boosters until his retirement in 2012. He and Coach Bowden traveled together on the annual Seminole Booster banquet-and-golf circuit (The Bobby Bowden Tour) for more than thirty years. Charlie Barnes was also the voice of the boosters, and his articles appeared in the Report to Boosters, Unconquered Magazine, the Florida State Times, the Tallahassee Democrat, and more.

Coach Bobby Bowden and his son Steve also teamed together to provide Bobby’s insights on each of the fourteen years of the dynasty for this book, which is a companion to the feature documentary film The Bowden Dynasty.