Bowden Bolts Tulane For Clemson

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

December 2, 1998 / 3:03 PM EST / CBS Sportsline

Tommy Bowden is leaving Tulane, the team he coached to an 11-0 record this season, to become coach at Clemson.

"This was not an easy decision. Tulane and the city of New Orleans have been very good to me and my family both personally and professionally. I leave here with nothing but fond memories," Bowden said in a statement released by Tulane's athletic department.

Clemson said earlier that plans were being made for a Thursday news conference to introduce Bowden.

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Bowden did not say when he would depart, however, The (Columbia) State newspaper said today Bowden will not coach his Tulane team in the Liberty Bowl.

Clemson reportedly has offered to pay half of Bowden's $750,000 buyout clause, the newspaper said. Bowden would become the school's 23rd football coach.

Bowden is a son of Florida State coach Bobby Bowden and brother of Terry Bowden who quit as Auburn coach last month.

Clemson and Florida State are in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The wait for a decision was hard on Tulane assistants.

"It's just one of those things you go through in coaching," said Tulane offensive coordinator Rich Rodriguez. "We're just trying to take care of business and see what happens."

Bwden is replacing tommy west, who was fired just before completing a 3-8 season last month. The Tigers reportedly are offering Bowden a yearly package of between $750,000 and $800,000.

Bowden, who snapped Tulane's 15-year losing streak last season and led them to a perfect record this year, toured the Clemson campus Monday and met with school President Constantine "Deno" Curris for about two hours.

Tulan players begin practice for the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 9.

"We're pretty helpless," quarterback Shaun King said. "What can we do? I hope he doesn't go."

Freshman Derrick Joseph, a candidate to replace King, said he might consider transferring. "The question is, if he leaves, who's going to take his place?" Joseph said.

Candidates to replace Bowden are said to be Rodriguez and Louisiana Tech coach Gary Crowton.

Bowden also had been under consideration by South Carolina, which is looking to replace Brad Scott, who was fired following a 1-10 season, the school's worst.