February 1, 2009

Rivals.com Staff

At the College Football Roundtable each week, we ask each member of the college football coverage staff for his opinion about a topic in the sport.

This week's question: Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden have signed contract extensions recently. Which one will coach the longest?

Olin Buchanan's answer:
Only they know, and maybe not even them. Penn State and Florida State are coming off solid seasons and the programs appear on the upswing so why leave now? Perhaps only the Good Lord knows when they will retire ? and perhaps He will be the one to retire them.

Tom Dienhart's answer:
I hate to say this, but I think JoePa will be Penn State's coach until he dies. He seems unwilling to let go of his post. He knows Bear Bryant passed away shortly after he retired. Paterno has said time and again he doesn't golf, doesn't fish, etc. Coaching is what he does. More power to him. On the other hand, Florida State has put a succession plan in place to have Jimbo Fisher take over by January 2011. FSU can get ditch that plan if it pays Fisher a handsome sum of money ($5 million), but I think Bowden will step down in the next year or two to enjoy the twilight of his life with his family.

David Fox's answer:
With Paterno holding a one-game lead in the all-time wins category, we're certain to see this tired race go on for another season. I don't know if either of them knows when he will retire. Paterno won't let hip replacement or a bad knee keep him from coaching; Bowden won't let a coach-in-waiting plan force him out, either. One of them will retire first. The other will spend an extra year in figurehead mode to claim the record. This once was a battle between two great coaches. Now it's more like a staring contest. I don't have a problem with that, though. Both have earned the right to stay at their programs as long as they want ? but that doesn't mean I have to care.

Mike Huguenn's answer:
I think Paterno outlasts Bowden. While both say the wins record isn't why they're still coaching, come on. Neither is at the top of his game anymore, and the final memories of both will be bittersweet. Still, for the most part, officials at both schools obviously feel Bowden and Paterno have earned the right to coach as long as they want. I know FSU already has designated a coach-in-waiting, but if Bowden decides in 2010 that he still wants to coach, I'd bet the school relents. And, again, I'd also bet Paterno coaches one more season than Bowden.

Steve Megargee's answer:
Paterno is three years older than Bowden, but I have to guess Paterno will end up coaching longer, assuming they don't retire at the same time. Paterno seems likely to stay longer because Florida State already has its succession plan in place. Bowden signed a one-year contract this week, but offensive coordinator/designated "coach-in-waiting" Jimbo Fisher's contract calls for him to receive $5 million if he hasn't taken over as the Seminoles' coach by January 2011. Penn State hasn't announced any kind of succession plan and doesn't seem in any hurry to turn the page. Paterno agreed to terms in December on a three-year extension that lasts through the 2011 season. Of course, there's always the chance Paterno could step down before the end of that contract. But the feeling here is that as long as he stays healthy, Paterno might still be coaching Penn State in 2011 while Bowden is enjoying retirement.