re: Bobby Bowden started head coaching in 1959. From 1959-2020 where does he rank all time.

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I would rank him ahead of Osborne, Switzer, Spurrier, Paterno and Royal.

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As pure football coaches, as in calling an offense or defense, I would put Osborne and Spurrier levels ahead of Bowden. They were great tacticians.

Bowden recruited really well, hired good assistants, and kept the program on the road. He was a great program manager but I don't know that he was ever a brilliant football mind who was heavily influential in game planning and playcalling. In any case, I do think he lost too many pivotal games. Should have won more titles in that 1987-2000 stretch. Even the highly talented '93 national championship team with Charlie Ward, Warrick Dunn and Derrick Brooks almost blew it by losing to ND and narrowly escaping a Nebraska team that shouldn't have been within two TD's of them. '99 was really the only year they didn't frick up somewhere.