After a fifth losing season in the past seven years, Akron is making a head coaching change. Terry Bowden will no longer be the head coach of the Zips, according to multiple reports surfacing on Sunday afternoon.
Bowden was hired by Akron prior to the 2012 season. Bowden had come off three good years with Division 2 North Alabama a little more than a decade after his last head coaching gig with Auburn from 1993 through 1998. In seven years with Akron, the Zips had gone 35-52 with just two bowl trips and one season that ended with a winning record, although this year’s highlight was a road win at Northwestern for Akron’s first win against a Big Ten team since before the 20th century (1894). Bowden also coached Akron to the first bowl victory in program history against Utah State in the 2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Bowden, the son of former Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden and brother of former Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden, has a career coaching record of 175-114-2 with jobs ranging from Auburn and Akron to Division 2 schools Salem and North Alabama to a job with FCS Samford.
What’s next for Akron reains to be seen. The same may be true for Bowden.