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© St. Petersburg Times, published October 20, 2001
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Florida State coach Bobby Bowden entered a select group by finalizing a new contract that, with incentives, could pay him about $2-million a year.
Only Florida's Steve Spurrier ($2.1-million) and Oklahoma's Bob Stoops ($2-million) are in that bracket among college football coaches. Bowden had been earning about $1.4-million after signing a deal in October 1999 that runs through the 2003 season.
His base salary increases modestly from $165,000 to $180,000, but if he can reach incentives such as winning the ACC and reaching a Bowl Championship Series game, he will be at $2-million. Winning a national title and reaching certain graduation rates would push him a little beyond that mark. Much of the increase comes from a new Nike contract.
Athletic director Dave Hart said in May that with a "significant change in the marketplace," referring to a growing list of millionaire coaches, he felt it was "absolutely a priority" to sweeten Bowden's deal.
Bowden immediately shared some of his new-found money, writing a $250,000 check for the Dynasty Campaign, a venture by Seminole Boosters to raise $70-million for scholarship endowments and facilities.