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Fisher's Future May Depend On Bowden's

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By Scott Carter, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 28, 2007

TALLAHASSEE - The honeymoon officially ended with Saturday's 33-point loss to archrival Florida. Florida State never had a chance. It was too much Tim Tebow and too much Percy Harvin. And it was disturbing to a fan base that hoped for more this season, the first since FSU coach Bobby Bowden revamped his coaching staff last offseason.

In the days since the Seminoles lost their fourth in a row to the Gators - FSU's longest losing streak in the series since the Noles became a national power in 1987 - the fans have mostly vented on message boards. They've also flooded the e-mail boxes of FSU president T.K. Wetherell and Andy Miller, head of Seminole Boosters.

They want to know what's next for a program stuck in neutral.

That answer could come soon, perhaps in the next week to 10 days, if ongoing talks between Wetherell and Bowden's camp result in an official announcement concerning Bowden's future. No, Bowden isn't getting fired or forced to retire. But his contract expires in January, and there's talk he wants a five-year extension in his final bid at returning the program he built into a national title contender. On the other hand, there's talk Wetherell and a portion of high-ranking boosters prefer a two-year deal filled with bonuses based on results.

But there's a twist to this story. Where does offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, the person many FSU fans want to replace Bowden, fit into the equation? Would Bowden agree to place a timetable on his departure and publicly endorse Fisher as his successor? That might be the only way to keep Fisher around, and Wetherell, who did not return a phone call to his office Tuesday, is expected to at least broach the subject with Bowden.

The plan has worked at other schools, including at Wisconsin when longtime coach Barry Alvarez retired. Fisher was a hot commodity last year prior to coming to FSU, and he could be a hot commodity again this offseason with 11 Division I-A head coaching vacancies as of Tuesday evening.

Fisher's name already has surfaced as a possible replacement for Chan Gailey at Georgia Tech, where Athletic Director Dan Radakovich seeks an energetic coach to recharge a fan base that has suffered six consecutive losses to in-state rival Georgia. Fisher, 42, fits the bill, plus he knows Radakovich well from their days together at LSU. Fisher's name has also been linked to the opening at Arkansas, where Houston Nutt resigned earlier this week, eventually ending up at Ole Miss.

Following Saturday's loss to Florida, Fisher reiterated he is content at FSU and wants to help turn the program around. Still, Fisher's agent, Memphis-based Jimmy Sexton, is listening to all offers. And Bowden, while hoping to keep his staff intact, acknowledged Sunday he has a policy of backing assistant coaches if they want to move on to a head coaching position.

BOWL OUTLOOK: Florida State's bowl destination isn't finalized and won't be until Sunday. At this point, FSU appears headed to play either Kentucky or Mississippi State in the Music City Bowl in Nashville.

"Any combination we can put together with an SEC team and Florida State has a lot of marketability," Music City Bowl chairman and CEO Scott Ramsey said. "We are certainly interested in Florida State."

HONORED: Center Ryan McMahon was named a freshman All-American by Rivals.com on Tuesday. McMahon, who moved from defense to the offensive line in spring practice, is the only freshman center in the country to play every snap this season.

VOLLEYBALL: FSU's Mira Djuric was named to the All-ACC first-team on Tuesday. Djuric was joined by teammate Makini Thompson, who earned All-ACC second-team honors.

FSU SHORTS

HONOR ROLL: Senior K Gary Cismesia finished the regular season 27 of 33 on field goal attempts, including an ACC-record 60-yarder to end the first half Saturday at Florida. Cismesia was named ACC Specialist of the Week on Monday for his 4-for-4 effort against the Gators.

SOUNDBITE CENTRAL: "He's been super. I wish he would have broken the record for extra points instead of field goals. We'd been better off." - FSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher on Cismesia tying Sebastian Janikowski's school record for most FGs in a season.

LOOK OUT FOR: On Friday night at 7, the FSU women's soccer team hosts UConn with a berth in the College Cup (soccer's version of the Final Four) on the line. FSU is 13-0 all-time at home in the NCAA Tournament.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Is it time for FSU coach Bobby Bowden to put a timetable on his retirement date? Go to TBO.com, Keyword: Noles to vote and monitor results.

TBO.COM POLL: When a player trash talks like Geno Hayes did about Tim Tebow, does it normally have an impact on the game? Yes (50.2 percent); No (49.8 percent).

BLOG BONUS: The death of Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor reached all the way to FSU's football team. Go to TBO.com, Keyword: Noles Report, to read more on Taylor's link to the Noles.

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