Somebody get me another Mountain Dew. It was an early morning for this night-owl sports writer. But the assignment was worth it. Terry Bowden (formerly of Auburn now of North Alabama) was speaking at the Decatur Country Club this morning so I was there to talk football with the coach.
He was eager to get the season started in his first season on the sideline since 1998 and UNA is obviously excited to have him. I also asked him about Alabama’s Nick Saban and whether or not they had spoken. Bowden was a player at West Virginia when Saban was an assistant coach.
Saban was coaching defensive backs for the Mountaineers and Bowden said it was clear the assistant was headed for big things in the future.
Bowden said Saban was “a little different from the rest of the guys.”
“He got up a little earlier and worked a little later and didn’t ever seem to get off of coaching,” Bowden said. “As a young guy, my dad had just left to go to Florida State, I was going to study my coaches and it was clear that guy was going somewhere.”
The new UNA coach kept up with Saban’s career as a broadcaster and said he admires what the Crimson Tide coach has done.
“I don’t think his way is the only way to be a winner because he does it his way which isn’t the Steve Spurrier way, it’s not necessarily the Bobby Bowden way or the right or wrong way. It’s his way. There is no secret to it — its hard work. He believes in hard work and dedication and he does that as good as anybody.”
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