Coach's son gets big payoff to leave Florida State

Team Infidel

Forum Spin Doctor


BRENT KALLESTAD

Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida State offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden received a $537,500 payoff from the school's boosters to resign following several seasons of declining production.
The settlement was revealed Wednesday when the school released a copy of the agreement Bowden's attorneys reached with the university and its boosters. The resignation takes effect Nov. 26, a day after the season finale against Florida.
Bowden - youngest son of head coach Bobby Bowden - retains his present $141,000 salary until his contract expires next August. He then will receive annual payments of $107,500 until August 2012.
The agreement, dated Nov. 14, was signed by Jeff Bowden, whose legal first name is George. Also signing it was Andy Miller, president of Seminole Boosters, Inc., Florida State president T.K. Wetherell and athletic director Dave Hart Jr.
Wetherell and Hart would not comment.
"It's not like we stand on the sideline on these things," Miller said. "What we try to do is provide the university, the people in charge of these decisions, with the resources to make the calls they need to make."
The payout will most likely come from concessions proceeds at the games, Miller said.
The agreement does not preclude Jeff Bowden from getting another job. He will still receive biweekly payments of $4,135. It also precludes Jeff Bowden from suing the school.
Bowden also participated in a special optional retirement program for state university employees that contributed 10 percent of his salary this year.
Jeff Bowden, 46, had been under fire for the past several years as Florida State's offense declined while his dad defended the staff.
But with Bobby Bowden's contract expiring in January of 2008, it was uncertain if the university was willing to negotiate an extension while Jeff Bowden remained on staff.
"It's just amazing," Bobby Bowden said Wednesday. "When things go wrong the first thing they blame is the offensive coordinator. That's kind of the game we Americans play."
 
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