Jimbo Fisher's Family Fight

((HT: WCTV))

From Florida State University their own selves...

Florida State University football head coach Jimbo Fisher and his wife, Candi, today announced the creation of a new national fund to fuel the quest for a cure for Fanconi anemia, a very rare life-threatening disorder that afflicts their 6-year-old son, Ethan, and many others.

“One thing I’ve learned as a football coach is to never accept defeat,” Coach Fisher said. “We are in this to win the fight against Fanconi anemia on behalf of all the children who share this struggle with Ethan.”

Money raised through a new campaign called OnaKwest for a Cure will support research into Fanconi anemia at the University of Minnesota, one of the leading universities pioneering better ways to treat the disorder, in advance of finding a cure. The campaign will raise research dollars for the Kidz 1st Fund, just established by the Fishers, through the sale of t-shirts, wristbands and other products and through online donations. Coach Fisher said he will donate all fees associated with his public speaking engagements to the fund.

This type of hereditary anemia, primarily a blood disease, can affect all systems in the body and leads to bone marrow failure. For decades, the disorder was thought to be untreatable, but promising advances in medical research have improved the prognosis. To extend their lives, most children suffering from Fanconi anemia will require a stem cell transplant, either bone marrow or cord blood, yet many wait years to find a donor who is a perfect match – or never find one.

For that reason, the Fishers also are making a widespread appeal for people to join the National Marrow Donor Registry to determine if they are a match for any of the thousands of people whose lives depend on a bone marrow transplant.

“The news that Ethan has this disease is a call to action for us, and we hope to use our situation to improve the chances of every child whose life may be extended and improved by advances against this illness,” Candi Fisher said. “We ask for your prayers, your participation in the bone marrow donor registry and your contribution to speed up the race for a cure.”

Leading Fanconi anemia researcher Margaret MacMillan, M.D., a pediatric blood and marrow transplant physician at the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital, said the fundraising efforts planned by the Fishers could be “a game changer” in the fight against Fanconi anemia.

“Through research, improvements are made each year in treating patients with Fanconi anemia, improvements that have changed the survival rate after unrelated donor bone marrow transplant for this disease from less than 30 percent to greater than 80 percent in the last 15 years,” said Dr. MacMillan. “It is with research that we have changed what’s possible for children just like Ethan. But there is much more to do. We will not stop until we have 100 percent survival. To this end, we are investigating safer treatments --even treatments that may eliminate the need for transplant in the future. Our team has already changed the practice of medicine for Fanconi anemia and other diseases, and we aim to do it again. With philanthropic support, we can give patients like Ethan and his family hope for a healthy and happy future.”

FSU Athletics Director Randy Spetman said the Fishers have the prayers of the FSU community. “They have the support of the entire Seminole family, and we all are teammates for Ethan as he courageously battles this disease,” Spetman said.

The Kidz 1st Fund, fighting Fanconi anemia, is affiliated with the Alma Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit charity that primarily supports children and family causes, distributing more than $5 million to date.

The OnaKwest for a Cure campaign is dedicated to raising awareness about Fanconi anemia and helping to fund research for finding a cure. The Fishers have established the Kidz 1st Fund so that dollars raised through generous donations, online contributions and during special events will go toward finding a cure. To learn more about the fund and donate to the cause, please visit www.kidz1stfund.com.

Here's the first part of the presser from the FSU campus...
((HT: WCTVEyewitnessNews))

DEVELOPING: Seminoles Dismiss Fortson

((HT: ESPN/Schlabach))
So much for Christian Ponder having a target he thought he was going to have...

FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher dismissed WR Jarmon Fortson from the football team for, what Schlabach's sources tell him were, "multiple failed drug tests..."

"He has been dismissed for a violation of team rules," Fisher told Schlabach. "We wish him the best in everything he does. We love him."

Fortson, a grad of Carver-Columbus High School, was the Seminoles' third-leading receiver last season- 45 catches for 610 yards with four touchdowns.

At least now Nigel Carr has some company...
More when we know more...

Here's some of what Fortson did when he was on the field...
((HT: NCAA on CBS/BXSportsCenter))


The HQ would, officially, like to call you a genius, son...
We know your high school coach, Dell McGee, will have more than an earful for you when you decide to see him next...

FSU has another problem child....

Well, that didn't take long. New Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher already has a player in legal trouble to deal with. Unfortunately, that has been a pretty regular occurrence in Tallahassee over the past several years.

Nigel Carr, supposed starting linebacker for the 'Noles, is now facing mulitple felony charges. The list of charges he's facing include: two counts of auto burglary, criminal mischief, credit card theft and fraud. Nice!

More from CBS4 in Miami RIGHT HERE

((Nigel Carr in Garnet and gold//Courtesy: reidcompton.com))

Oh...he was arrested 4 days ago for possession of marijuana too.

Needless to say, we are guessing that Carr isn't currently in Greensboro, North Carolina at ACC Media Days with Coach Fisher. This is a bit more serious than a misdemeanor. The charges could easily involve some jail time. We'll see if it involves losing time on the field now...won't we?

Florida vs. Florida State in Atlanta?

Interesting. Really, that was the only word we could think of when we came upon this story. Though it may be something that never happens, the subject has now been broached...at least by Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher and the folks representing the Chick-fil-a Kickoff Classic.

Check out what the Orlando Sentinel had to say about it RIGHT HERE

It is an intriguing idea. We know from our familiarity with Gary Stokan and the folks on the Atlanta Sports Council that they are aggressive and trying to promote the biggest game they possibly can. We also know that they are trying to stick to the ACC vs. SEC premise of the game.

Florida and Florida State do play each other during the season...but at the end of the season. Part of coach Fisher's idea is the thought that the loss wouldn't hurt the loser early in the season and lately that loser has been FSU.

We know that there would be a lot of money involved. We know that both schools have extraordinarily large Booster clubs in the metro Atlanta area. And we know that the game would be a guaranteed sell-out, most college football games at the Georgia Dome are.

We also realize that this may never happen, it just may be a dream for Jimbo Fisher. We do however agree with his thought process and think that it would be a really cool way to kick off the College Football season.

Here is the intro that CBS Sports came up with for last years game as voiced by OSG Favorite Vern Lundquist. Thanks: CBSSports and You Tube

TWTW: Bowden Goes Out A Winner In Gator Bowl

((HT: WCTV-TV))

Some of us at the HQ have maintained that FSU Head Coach Bobby Bowden has needed to go for quite some time... the program had gone stale and mediocre in his watch- two adjectives that should be unaaceptable for any member of the Seminole fan base.

Coach-Who-Waited Jimbo Fisher gets to clean house now.

Mickey Andrews is retiring. Bobby Bowden is retired- or, to be more accurate, out on his garnet and gold ass courtesy of the administration without a handshake or a pocketwatch.

The HQ will shout from the highest available mountain top that Bowden made FSU and is one of the true legends in college football. His departure should have been handled a gazillion times better than it was, and we're glad he's leaving Tallahassee in his rear view mirror because of how he was treated.

We're also sure that, if Mrs. Ann was inclined, she'd show the school who's number one out the passenger window of the Bowden automobile.

Bowden got his last bowl game at the Gator...
Go, Gator...

Here's Sam and Elton from WCTV in Tallahassee with the wrap on the Bowden Legacy...


As the old saying goes... you don't want to be the coach who replaces a legend... You want to be the coach who replaces the coach who replaces the legend...

The HQ shops for Jimbo's replacement as a nice guy finishes second...

Tuesday Carousel: Bobby Bowden Update

A second meeting was held between Florida State front-office types and head coach Bobby Bowden Tuesday morning...

The 2:15 team meeting is still on as originally thought.

University president TK Wetherell was quoted in the Tallahassee Democrat as saying he hoped that Bowden would remain with the university in an emeritus capacity after announcing his expected retirement.

Wetherell also said that he is anticipating a Gator Bowl appearance for the Seminoles against West Virginia- a game that Bowden would coach.

3PM UPDATE: Florida State University has issued a press release

“The bowl game will be my last game as head football coach at Florida State,” said Bowden. “It’s been a great 34 seasons.

“I’d like to thank my wife Ann and my family for their love and support. There were a lot of nights when I was on the road and not at home at the dinner table. We all know that’s part of it.

“I’d also like to thank the coaches and their families who helped build the program into something that is special. You can’t have a successful program without players and we have been blessed to have young men who are winners both on and off the field. I want to thank them and their families for committing 4-5 years of their lives to me and to FSU.

“Finally, I’d like to thank the University and FSU fans who have supported the Florida State program. We’ve got one more game and I look forward to enjoying these next few weeks as the head football coach.”

WCTV's Elton Gumbel has a look at the man who would be king...


And Mike Vasalinda looks at the end of an era in Tallahassee...

Bobby Bowden To Retire Tuesday

From the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper...

Corey Clark and Jim Lamar report:

Bowden ((pictured, thanks Tallahassee Democrat)) is expected to announce his resignation by way of a statement to be released Tuesday, sources told the Democrat.

As part of his retirement, Bowden is expected to be offered a non-coaching position at FSU for an unspecified amount of time. In addition to any settlement compensation that may be negotiated as part of his retirement, Bowden is also entitled to $1 million upon his retirement as part of a clause in his coaching contract that was agreed upon at least 10 years ago.

It is unclear if Bowden will coach the bowl game or not, but sources have said if he does coach one last game then the Gator Bowl may try to select FSU for its Jan. 1 game.

Bowden’s retirement means Jimbo Fisher will become the first head football coach FSU has hired in 34 seasons.

If this is indeed the case, it's a crappy way to go out for sure...
The entire "Coach-in-Waiting" concept is a joke, and a lot of people would venture to say that the FSU "Coach-in-Waiting" is one...

This means that Jimbo Fisher will clean house on one side of the ball- not his own...

FOSG Lee Gordon from WCTV-TV in Tallahassee has your evening update which still contains maybes and possibles for Bowden...

Monday Carousel: Bobby Bowden Update, Tuesday Retirement...???

Okay, here's what we found out...

We know about the 10AM meeting Tuesday where Coach Bowden is supposed to address his future on the sidelines at Florida State. He had a meeting with university President TK Wetherell and AD Randy Spetman that lasted about an hour Monday.

Sources close to the program have told OSG Sports that what Bowden will be wrestling with the remainder of today is the following:

1) A reduced role as Head Coach in 2010
2) Jimbo Fisher will be making the decision as to who replaces retiring DC Mickey Andrews. Fisher also will have control over making wholesale changes to the defensive coaching staff in general.

((Read what you want in to the idea of Chuck Amato being retained there...))

3) It was implied in the meeting with Wetherell and Spetman that next year will be Bowden's last as Head Coach- regardless of success level.

Bowden would get his "farewell tour."

Boosters of the Florida State program are, understandably, divided on the issue. There is the side that wants Bowden gone after whatever-mediocre bowl FSU will play in before New Year's Day. There are also those who want to give the man his farewell ((considering what he has meant to the program)) and not have it end on an ugly note.

That is the Bowden Family decision for your Monday evening...

And, yes, we're still holding off on our Mickey Andrews info until all this calms down and we can put a garnet and gold bow on this whole proceeding...

7PM UPDATE: WCTV-TV in Tallahassee is reporting the following

Florida State has scheduled a team meeting for 2:15pm where it is expected that they will inform the players that Bobby Bowden will step down as head football coach at Florida State.

However, a meeting is still scheduled for the morning between Bowden and members of the University. As of now, no decsion has been made on Bowden's future, but an announcement should come after the morning meeting.

FSU's media relations department says that an announcement could come on Tuesday in the form of a press release, but nothing has been scheduled where Bobby Bowden or any other member of the team will address the media.

TWTW: Bowden Era Over With Thud In Gainesville...???

((HT: WCTV-TV))

Some of us at OSG HQ have maintained that the Bowden Era should have been over a while back at Florida State...

Hiring Jeff as his Offensive Coordinator- bad idea...
The University hiring Jimbo Fisher as "Coach-in-Waiting"- worse idea...

Offensive- yes...
Genius- no...

Eight years of mediocrity can wear on a fan base and alums... and it has...
All of the coaches are doing nothing correctly these days... and they ALL need to leave campus... ALL OF THEM!!!

The entrenched veterans will not listen to the "In-Waitings" and vice versa. All that creates is a bad environment and mixed messages for the recruits...

You don't win football games that way. Brother Wilkie actually called to see if I was in the process of doing harm to myself during the game Saturday- which was a 37-10 blowout...

I wasn't since I knew we were in trouble from the beginning...

Either be very good at what you do or very bad... average gets you nothing except ignored...

Here's Sam Lane's post-mortem from Gainesville...


God bless... and ((insert your divine being here)) bless those Florida uni's...
Awful, awful, awful...

Mickey Andrews Retirement Plans Announced Today

According to Florida State University, DC Mickey Andrews will announce his retirement plans in a statement to be released at 3PM this afternoon.

He will answer questions from the assembled media after practice, which should be around 6PM eastern time.

From the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper:

Andrews ((pictured, thanks Glenn Beil/Tallahassee Democrat)) had seriously considered retiring after each of the past two seasons. His wife, Diane, left little doubt about his plans in an interview with the Tallahassee Democrat last week.

"Florida State is so special for us," she said. "I hate like the dickens that it is coming down to this with Mickey leaving. I hate it worse than anything.

"We've been here 26 years. These people have been with us through all kinds of things, these tragedies (including the death of son Ronnie two years ago.)"

Right now, the FSU "total defense" is ranked 109th in Division one football giving up over 400 yards per game on average.

The next hurdle will be to decide who gets to make the choice of a new Defensive Coordinator- Bobby Bowden or Jimbo Fisher...

"We'll tell (recruits) that Coach Bowden and myself, we'll all make that intelligent decision on the future," Jimbo Fisher said, "and we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it."

Right... we believe you...

Here's a feature that ran on Andrews on Seminole Sports Magazine back in September
((HT: SUN Sports))


Sources close to the situation in Tallahassee told OSG Sports before the season started that Andrews would be leaving when Bobby Bowden was leaving...

Makes you wonder if something bigger is on the horizon...

The End Is Near. FSU Board Of Trustees Chair Believes "Enough Is Enough" with Bobby Bowden

Is support for Bobby Bowden eroding in the Florida State inner circle? One has to wonder after this latest development.

The Tallahassee Democrat reported that FSU trustee chair Jim Smith believes "enough is enough."
Smith, who is chair of the universities Board of Trustees, was quoted in the Tallahassee Democrat: “My hope is frankly that we’ll go ahead, and if we have to, let the world know that this year will be the end of the Bowden Era,”


Smith added: “We are dependent on the goodwill and the financial resources of thousands of people to make this program work effectively,” Smith said. “And we don’t have any goodwill out there right now. … People have had it."

“The Board of Trustees, and I think, the President — we can’t ignore that. That’s a fact.”

You can read the full article from the Tallahassee Democrat right here.

Waning support from the fan base is one thing but when the power brokers within the university, especially the ones that set policy, is almost a kiss of death.

There's no way around it, FSU has plunged into the abyss of mediocrity and is very close to becoming irrelevant IN THE ACC! This year was supposed to the year the Seminoles returned to the spotlight, a bill of goods the ACC media bought voting Florida State to win the ACC Atlantic Division. That hasn't been the case. A big win at BYU has been backed up by a pathetic loss to South Florida and losing on the road to a Boston College team that was picked to finish last in the ACC Atlantic.

It's becoming apparent that Bowden is losing the fan base, the local paper and now the power brokers.

As for Bowden, he appears unfazed and borderline clueless. Bowden said this during his Sunday press conference on FSU's current situation.

"Fifty percent of the teams in the country last week got beat — 50 percent of them," Bowden said. "They are all asking the same questions. This is part of football; you win some, you lose some. You had a tied ball game in the fourth quarter and we had a chance to win it."

There is a succession plan in place, offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher is the "head coach in waiting." Their are reports surfacing that Fisher's head coaching contract is being worked out.

It appears after 33 years a fresh approach is needed at FSU.

Photo Courtesy: Phil Sears/Tallahassee Democrat

Auburn: Fish - ing For A New Coach But Hasn't Grabbed One By The Gills

The coaching search at Auburn is heating up. 5 potential candidates were interviewed last week but Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs wouldn't reveal who he interviewed. One is believed to be Ball State head coach Brady Hoke. Other candidates interviewed were 2 former Auburn players. Rodney Garner who is an assistant at Georgia and Patrick Nix, Miami's offensive coordinator.

The Birmingham News reported that Buffalo head coach Turner Gill was interviewed Monday. Gill is a very hot coaching commodity since turning around the Bulls from the bottom of FBS to a MAC championship this year.

Florida State head coach in waiting Jimbo Fisher's name keeps popping up. Monday Fisher was in Montgomery, Alabama as the keynote speaker of the Montgomery Quarterback Club. Fisher told the Montgomery Advertiser the he nor his agent Jimmy Sexton has been contacted by any Auburn representative. That doesn't mean Fisher wouldn't listen.

Fisher told the Montgomery Advertiser "You never say never. This business is a crazy business. You never say never in this business. I know this -- I'm very happy where I am."

According to an OSG source, Fisher is unlikely to be contacted because Auburn would have to buyout his contract at Florida State which would cost over $5 million. The university is already committed to writing some large checks to former head coach Tommy Tuberville.

That same source also indicated that Auburn will go the assistant route or the "hot" coach at a non-BCS school because it can't compete in the coaching arms race.

UPDATE: OSG Sources have also confirmed that Auburn representatives had a lengthy interview with University of Miami Offensive Coordinator Patrick Nix in Atlanta two days ago. Nix considered himself, according to those same sources, "humbled" by the opportunity to talk about the opening.

Where the Nix goes in the mix is just part of the pix...
We guess...

Turner Gill Photo Courtesy: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Jimbo Fisher Photo Courtesy: Montgomery Advertiser

Auburn Searching For A New Head Coach

The process has begun at Auburn to find a new head football coach. The Birmingham News has identified 5 candidates for the job.

1. Derek Dooley - Louisiana Tech Head Coach (Dooley is getting play from Mississippi State to.)

2. Jimbo Fisher - Florida State Head Coach In Waiting

3. Mike Leach - Texas Tech Head Coach

4. Will Muschamp - Texas Head Coach In Waiting

5. Bobby Petrino - Arkansas Head Coach

According to the Birmingham News, Petrino's people have been unofficially contacted and an OSG source in Arkansas concurs. That source also says that Petrino has a clause in his Arkansas contract that prevents him from bolting to an SEC West team. If Auburn wants him they would have to write a big check.

Will Muschamp is unlikely as well since he seems content at Texas.

Why would Jimbo Fisher trade Florida State for Auburn.

Derek Dooley has the bloodlines. His dad Vince played at Auburn and almost took the head coaching job in 1980.

Which leaves Mike Leach. After interviewing at the University of Washington its becoming apparent that Leach has maxed out the Texas Tech program and he is striking while the iron is hot. Auburn has unofficially contacted Leach's camp and he is willing to talk. If Seattle isn't the place for Leach than Auburn might be. It just seems that Leach is ready to move on.

Don't be surprised if TCU head coach Gary Patterson gets a call from Auburn. He's also a hot coaching commodity ready to make the BCS move.

As for Tommy Tuberville, well he says he wants to stay and help the Auburn program. I wonder if his camp isn't making some phone calls to Starkville, Mississippi?