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10 College football coaches who probably didn’t deserve to be fired

By Michael Collins

Oct 3, 2015; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt reacts during the third quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2015; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt reacts during the third quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 22, 2015; Boise, ID, USA; Akron Zips head coach Terry Bowden holds The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl trophy at Bronco Stadium. Akron defeated Utah State 23-21. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2015; Boise, ID, USA; Akron Zips head coach Terry Bowden holds The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl trophy at Bronco Stadium. Akron defeated Utah State 23-21. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 5: Terry Bowden – Auburn, 1998

Head Coaching Years: 1993-1998
Overall record with school: 47-17-1
Reason for dismissal: Athletic Director decision

With Terry Bowden, we have another case of a coach butting heads with his AD, and deciding to step down before the official firing became public.

Auburn Tigers
Auburn Tigers /

Auburn Tigers

Bowden had Auburn rolling for a while, Following Pat Dye, and inheriting NCAA sanctions, scholarship reductions and postseason bans, Terry Bowden coached the Tigers to an undefeated season in 1993. While it meant little due to Auburn’s probationary status, it seemed a sign that Bowden was going to stick around for quite a while.

However, a few years later when athletic director David Housel refused to give Bowden any assurance of his position (despite losing only 12 games in five crippled seasons), he saw the writing on the wall. His contentious relationship with former Auburn trustee Bobby Lowden only added fuel to the fire, and Bowden checked out midway through the 1998 season.

While the Tigers have had some pockets of success since Bowden’s departure, one has to think that had this relationship survived, there would be a few more trophies sitting around in Auburn.

Next: Boston College

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