Bowden, Florida State agree on 1-year contract

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Bobby Bowden signed a one-year contract Wednesday to coach a 34th season at Florida State, prolonging his duel with Penn State’s Joe Paterno to see who will retire as college football’s all-time leader in wins.

The school’s announcement said Bowden will be paid just under $2.5 million, the same as last year.

“I am glad to get it signed up for another year like I said I would do after each year,” Bowden said in a statement. “I appreciate the university’s support. We are busy recruiting and looking forward to next season.”

Bowden has said many times in recent weeks that he planned to return.

FSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher must replace Bowden by January 2011 or the school will owe him $5 million.

Bowden’s 382 career wins are one fewer than Paterno, the all-time leader among major college coaches. Paterno, 82, recently signed a three-year extension. Bowden has an option for 2010.

Bowden left West Virginia in 1976 to take over a Florida State program that had won just four games in three previous seasons and was considering dropping its program.

He heads into next season seeking a 33rd straight winning record and the team’s 28th consecutive bowl appearance. Florida State finished 9-4 last year, its best season since 2004, and defeated Wisconsin 42-13 in the Champs Sports Bowl.

The Seminoles won national championships in 1993 and 1999 during an unprecedented run of 14 consecutive seasons with 10 or more victories and top 5 finishes in the AP poll.

The agreement comes one week before colleges can sign high school prospects and Florida State is still awaiting word from the NCAA on possible scholarship reductions for players involved in an academic cheating scandal.

The cheating involved roughly five dozen athletes and took place between the fall semester in 2006 through summer 2007. The athletes received improper help from staffers who provided them with answers to an exam and typed papers for them.