On September 4th, 2010, a new era in Florida State football began as Jimbo Fisher became the first FSU head coach in nearly 35 years to be named something other than Bobby Bowden.
During his 34 years in Tallahassee, Bowden took the Seminoles from a team that had won just four games in the previous three years to a perennial national power. Bowden’s Seminoles won a pair of national championships and notched an unparalleled 14 straight top-5 finishes from 1987-2000.
Bowden hired Fisher as the team’s offensive coordinator prior to the 2007 season and Fisher would eventually be named his successor. Replacing a legend is never ideal, but that was what Fisher was tasked with five years ago as the Seminoles squared off against Samford — Fisher and Bowden’s alma mater — in the 2010 season-opener.
“It was a big game,” said Everett Dawkins, who started at defensive tackle that day. “Even though Samford is a smaller school, it was still a big game.”
The Seminoles dominated from the start in a 59-6 rout. Christian Ponder passed for four touchdowns while running back Ty Jones went for 107 yards and a score on the ground.
“It was a good feeling to start the Jimbo era off right,” Dawkins said.
While fans in Tallahassee have hardly forgotten the name Bobby Bowden, Fisher has made his own name a household one. In five seasons under Fisher, the Seminoles have gone 58-11 which includes three ACC titles and the 2013 national championship.
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