Wednesday, December 03, 2003

Bowden didn't seek more money in new contract

He just wanted to make sure he would be here to stay for a while. In light of the abuse that's been heaped on him by the fans and the media, I'd say that's pretty remarkable.

Though there's no pay increase, the contract Bowden signed shows a mutual commitment.

If either side terminates the contract with five, six or seven years remaining, the other is owed $4 million in semi-annual payments over six years. The amount owed drops to $3 million with four years left, $2.5 million at three years, $500,000 at two years, and whatever is due at one year or less.

Under Bowden�s previous buyout provision, he would have owed Clemson approximately $2 million had he left this year with four seasons remaining on his contract. Clemson would have been responsible for $750,000 if it had fired Bowden.



There's more coverage of the contract here, here and here.

Here are the details of the contract, a comparison of the deal with the one USC coach Lou Holtz just signed, and a timeline.

HAPPY ENDINGS: Columnist Ron Morris of The State says Bowden's contract extension marks the end of a wild rollercoaster ride for the coach.

HAPPY FEELINGS: The Greenville News chronicles the reaction of Clemson players and fans to Bowden's contract extension.

RECRUITING BOOST: The Anderson Independent-Mail makes an important point in this story: signing Bowden will help recruiting dramatically.

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