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Pigskin links historic coaches

Bobby Bowden and LaVell Edwards have 555 wins between them and a lot of good times.

By BRIAN LANDMAN

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 27, 2000

JACKSONVILLE -- Florida State coach Bobby Bowden and Brigham Young's LaVell Edwards go back a ways.

They first met at a Tangerine Bowl jamboree in Orlando in 1977, shortly after Bowden's first season at FSU. They played golf together and hit it off immediately.

"Any time I'm at a Nike seminar or a Nike convention or an American Football Coaches Association meeting, I usually end up in the company of La-Vell or Joe Paterno, two of those other old guys," Bowden said.

Their families have been close over the years, too. In fact, Bowden said Edwards' wife, Patti, hinted to his son, Tommy, during a recent Nike function that LaVell might retire at the end of this season.

"LaVell never mentioned it to me," Bowden said.

Edwards, 69, made that announcement a few weeks ago.

After 29 years at BYU and 251 wins and counting, third behind Paterno (317) and Bowden (304) among active coaches and seventh all-time in Division I-A, he will call it a career at season's end.

"There's going to be some sentimental feelings on my part," Bowden said before Saturday's late meeting against BYU. "I hate to see him get out because I'm going to miss him."

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