Too-Lame No More

By LONNIE WHITE

Nov. 25, 1998 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

NEW ORLEANS —

Tommy Bowden waited a long time before he finally got a chance to lead his own Division I-A college football program. But three games into his first season as head coach at Tulane last year, he had reason to worry if he was the right person for the job.

Losing had become somewhat of a tradition at Tulane, which won only 12 games over the previous six seasons and had not had a winning season since 1981. So after suffering tough back-to-back losses to Rice and Syracuse, Bowden worried about his team’s frame of mind. He didn’t want his players to accept close defeats as moral victories anymore.

“The year before I got here, Tulane was ahead in the fourth quarter in four games and lost,” said Bowden, 44, who spent 20 years as a college assistant. “My natural thought was that I was going to lose [the team]. I worried that the guys would start to see me as another new coach talking fast and positive, but then the same thing happens. . . . They had been losing here for so long.”

After a long talk with his father, Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden, Tommy decided to make practice the week after the loss to Syracuse a living hell. He wanted his players to realize that there were no pats on the back for losing close games.

Bowden’s message must have worked. Tulane has been nearly unstoppable ever since, winning 16 of its last 18 games. The Green Wave is 10-0 this year and one of four unbeaten, untied teams in Division I-A. The last time Tulane had a season like this was 1931, when the Green Wave took an 11-0 record to the Rose Bowl before losing to USC.

With Louisiana State struggling and the New Orleans Saints playing like the Saints, 11th-ranked Tulane has become the talk of the Crescent City. From the French Quarter to Tulane’s scenic campus, Tulane football merchandise is now worn with pride. The Green Wave booster club has bowl travel plans--something that hadn’t happened since 1987 when Mack Brown led Tulane to the Independence Bowl.

“It’s like night and day, the way things have changed around here,” said senior quarterback Shaun King, the Green Wave’s most celebrated player. “Now everybody wants to stop you and get your autograph. I can’t go anywhere with my girlfriend. People come over to our table just to talk. But it’s really good because there was a time not too long ago when nobody cared.

“I think the turning point for us came after the Syracuse game. In previous years, our season would have continued on a downward spiral. But we came back, rebounded and started to win.”

In less than two seasons, Tulane has risen to the top of Conference USA, thanks to an explosive no-huddle offense directed by King--who leads the nation in passing efficiency and was the conference’s offensive player of the year last season.

Despite having to play most of the season with a cast on his [non-throwing] left wrist, King has thrown for 2,902 yards and 33 touchdowns with only six interceptions. His 180.4 passing-efficiency rating would be an NCAA record if the season were over. There’s no question that King is the key to the Green Wave’s success, but what makes Tulane’s multi-formation spread offense click is a running game--which averages nearly 200 yards a game--developed by offensive coordinator Rich Rodriguez.

“This offense is so fun. You’re always able to make plays,” said King, a four-year starter who directed consecutive 2-9 teams before Bowden came to Tulane. “Nothing restricts you. You can do so much with it because you’re allowed to improvise so much. There’s nothing vanilla about it.”

For veteran players, Tulane’s current success has eased some of the pain they experienced during the lean years.

“It was a difficult situation to be in, it was really tough mentally,” fifth-year senior defensive end Kevin Reavis said. “But, we stuck it out. We turned the experience into a good thing and now we are in the best position we can be in.”

Tulane has a great chance of finishing the regular season undefeated with only a game remaining against Louisiana Tech (6-5) on Thursday. The 11th-ranked Green Wave will play in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 31, after it was announced Tuesday that Tulane would not be part of the bowl championship series.

Tulane won’t be considered a legitimate Division I-A power unless, among other things, it upgrades its nonconference schedule with games against highly regarded Southeastern Conference teams. This season’s record includes nonconference wins over Southern Methodist, Navy, Rutgers and Southwest Louisiana.

But probably the most important thing for the Green Wave is to make sure that Bowden doesn’t jump ship.

Although he has said he intends to remain at Tulane, rumors of Bowden leaving for such schools as Clemson, Oklahoma and South Carolina will remain until he meets with school President Scott Cowen at the end of the season. .

After last year’s 7-4 season, Bowden was pursued by Arkansas but signed a five-year contract with the Green Wave worth a reported $300,000 to $400,000 annually. This off-season, Tulane might have to come up with more than money to keep Bowden around.

“This program will be as successful as Tulane University wants it to be,” said Bowden, the 38th coach in the 104-year history of Green Wave football. “But there are concerns that need to be addressed after the season.”

Athletic Director Sandy Barbour realizes that Bowden is a hot commodity in the coaching world.

“I think it’s kind of a foregone conclusion that success will be rewarded,” Barbour told the Times-Picayune. “We’ve both made it clear there’s no need to do that during the season. That only serves as a distraction.”

For now, Bowden is simply enjoying the moment. After spending so many years as an assistant at West Virginia, Florida State, East Carolina, Auburn, Florida State again, Duke, Alabama, Kentucky and Auburn again, he appreciates the opportunity Tulane gave him.

As the oldest son of college football’s most famous coaching family, Bowden always wanted to be a Division I-A head coach. But as years passed, the chance to run his own program didn’t materialize despite the success of his father at Florida State and his brother Terry, who had early success at Auburn with Tommy as his offensive coordinator.

“I started sending out my resume for a head coaching job when I was 28 or so,” said Bowden, whose youngest brother, Jeff, is an assistant at Florida State. “But I only met with Kentucky, Baylor and Ole Miss. Jobs I didn’t get.”

Bowden’s career hit a low point when he was retained as an assistant at Auburn by Terry only after their mother forced him to do so. It’s these experiences along with the recent resignation of Terry at Auburn and the tough times Bobby endured early in his career at Florida State that Bowden will call upon when he decides his future.

“What happened to Terry hurt because he’s my brother,” said Tommy, who admits that it was tough at first working under his younger brother at Auburn. “It’s like any close family. I can call him names but not anyone else.

“It’s funny, but when Terry got the job at Auburn, I was really down, but things worked out after some time. I spent my last four seasons coaching under him and now I’m at the highest point of my career and he’s struggling professionally. One thing I know is that Terry would never work for me but I’d take him if he wanted.”

One thing for sure is that both brothers will be walking a sideline next season, but for which school is a good question.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

The Turnaround

Tommy Bowden

Tulane record: 17-4, .810

Tulane record in the ‘90s before Bowden: 16-62, .205

Tulane’s victories in the ‘90s

1998: 10-0

Bowden’s first year: 7-4

Family Ties

Terry Bowden

Division I-A