Time for Another Run at the Ring

By Charlie Barnes, Guest Columnist

During the entire glorious decade of the 1990s, the Seminoles began each season with the single goal of winning a national championship. They brought home two big trophies and played for the title another three times, all within the space of eight consecutive seasons.

What we call "The Dynasty" lasted 14 years from start to finish. It is defined by the unbroken run of top four finishes, and seasons with at least 10 or more wins. Writers sometimes say the Dynasty comprised 14 years of “Top Five” finishes. That is an unfortunate concession to the final breath of the run, a 2-13 loss to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl following the 2000 season.

We were ranked No. 3 going into that game, and the final AP ranking of No.5 was the first time we’d been ranked as low as fifth at the end of the season since 1987. The Seminoles never finished a season in the Top 10 again, until 2012.

In Dynasty Days, the ACC Conference championship was just assumed, beginning with FSU’s first full season of league play in 1992. The shock of a first league loss finally came after four years, in the 29th ACC contest, away from home and at the last second on a controversial call. Another two full seasons would pass and 20 more games before the Seminoles lost to another ACC team.

For Seminole fans who were not there to experience it, it’s hard to appreciate how Florida State’s brand dominated the national stage. Sports Illustrated surveyed college football fans in nine separate geographic areas of the country. Only Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish and the Florida State Seminoles appeared among the Top 10 fan favorites in every geographic area.

Florida State played in three consecutive official national championship games: the 1998-99 Fiesta Bowl, the 1999-2000 Sugar Bowl, and the 2000-2001 Orange Bowl.

Now, we are on the threshold of the 2013 season. For the first time since 2001 - nearly as long a stretch of time as The Dynasty itself - our Seminole program may once again have assembled the deep strength required to finish each season at or near the top of the rankings.

But the structure of the national championship race itself has changed since we made regular appearances in the 1990s. The pathway to the title game has been redesigned; the selection process is different now and will not necessarily always favor the Seminoles.

What was called the Bowl Coalition was created in 1992 to orchestrate a true national championship game and avoid the split national titles of previous years. After a couple of seasons the Bowl Coalition evolved into the Bowl Alliance, and in 1998 the BCS made its first appearance.

In what many hope to be the final evolution, the 2014 college football season will see the introduction of the official College Football Playoffs. Four teams, chosen not by computer rankings but by a committee of 14 to 20 members, will play in two semi-final games. The winners will play each other for the championship.

Six bowls will participate in the playoffs, I assume on a rotating basis. The first actual championship game itself is expected to be played in Dallas, Texas on January 12, 2015.

The road map to the Championship is not the only thing that has changed since Florida State’s golden era.

In fact, the structure of higher education in Florida has changed, mostly in ways that benefit FSU. Back in the day, the old Board of Regents controlled every aspect of the university system and decisions were often tilted in favor of one university. Florida State was a stepchild of sorts, and not the favored one.

For instance, in 1976 FSU needed to request permission from the BOR to pay newly hired Bobby Bowden a salary equal to that of the Head Coach at the University of Florida. That’s a small example; there are other stories of much greater significance. There were some ugly exchanges when FSU was making the decision to join the ACC rather than the SEC in 1991. That is a story for another day, but one of the reasons we joined the ACC was the desire to get out from under the shadow of our big brother university to the south.

Since dissolution of the old Board of Regents by the Florida Legislature a dozen years ago, Florida State has operated under protection and guidance of our own Board of Trustees. Even though six Trustees are selected by the Governor of Florida and five more are selected by the Florida Board of Governors, Florida State has been fortunate to have a collection of Trustees dedicated to the best interests of FSU.

Florida State alumnus and award-winning journalist Gary Fineout penned the lead story this June about the most significant advancement in Florida State’s competitive standing within the State’s higher education landscape. Reporting for the Associated Press, Fineout wrote:

“After years of fierce lobbying, behind-the-scenes battles and even protests, Florida officially designated two of its public universities as preeminent research universities.

"The Florida Board of Governors, acting on a new state law, gave the designation to two of the state’s best-known and established schools. The University of Florida and Florida State University are officially designated the state’s pre-eminent universities. The Legislature established guidelines for 'pre-eminent' status in the spring, the Board of Governors approved a motion bestowing the title on the two schools.”

Going into the 2013 season, the stars do seem to be aligning for Florida State once again. To ensure the Seminoles’ best chances to win more national titles, it would be advantageous to recreate a senior leadership cadre similar to what was in place in 1987.

The starring cast of the original Dynasty included University Presidents Bernie Sliger, followed in 1994 by his successor, Sandy D’Alemberte. Coach Bowden surrounded himself with a collection of first class assistant coaches. Both sides of the ball were anchored by exceptionally talented coordinators: Mickey Andrews on defense, and Brad Scott and Mark Richt on offense. Bob Goin and Dave Hart provided focused leadership as directors of Athletics.

Another member of the cast was Seminole Boosters President Andy Miller. Miller became CEO of Seminole Boosters in early 1975 when he was just 24 years old. Miller was not only there for the Dynasty, he began his tenure during the final year of the Darryl Mudra era! He is modest about his role as creator of the University Center as well as his efforts in the design and construction of what is now one of the most impressive collections of all-sports athletic facilities in the nation.

Miller has always said, “Our job was to make the best use of the wins that Bobby Bowden gave us.” The fabulous CollegeTown development and the new student housing facility which will accommodate the entire football team are both driven by Andy Miller.

Miller remains part of the current cast. He joins head coach Jimbo Fisher and FSU President Eric Barron, three extraordinary personalities and powerful leaders, who are pulling together to create the fresh drama and success that will come with a new Dynasty.

One member of the cast yet to be named is a new director of Athletics.

BY THE TIME THIS COLUMN IS PUBLISHED, Florida State may have secured a new athletics director. I no longer represent the official views of Seminole Boosters, Inc. However, if I were asked to describe the ideal candidate here’s the advice I’d offer to the decision-makers.

Go recruit an individual who has established top credentials in his or her profession, and that profession doesn’t have to be athletics. What Florida State needs, specifically, is an athletics director with the charisma to organize and lead the ACC football powers toward making the conference a stronger and more competitive business. In fact an aggressive leader armed with a Taser might encourage the League to focus attention on football issues that aren't limited to football scheduling and football officiating.

Florida State needs an athletics director who understands how to maximize the economic potential of Seminole Athletics and how that fits within complex landscape of the university. Such a director would be both a willing partner with the Seminole Boosters and a loyal member of President Barron’s team.

Florida State needs an athletic director with the personal magnetism to attract experienced professionals in the field of college athletics. Those are the people whose expertise in athletic administration will smooth the day-to-day business of the department. Of course the new director will also be required to recruit coaches who will win championships. On that point, the Seminoles already seem to enjoy a roster of head coaches committed to winning in all sports. Florida State needs an Athletics Director who is a commanding presence in the community and among the alumni, a charismatic spokesman in the media - on camera, in print - and in the hallways of power. Our director must tell the Seminole story and promote the Seminole program, in public, every day. It’s admirable for the director to attend undergraduate sporting events of course, but the best way to demonstrate support for the student-athletes is to create a program that surrounds them with a well-funded infrastructure of excellence.

Long past are the days of old football coaches retiring to the athletic director’s suite. Today’s Division I athletics director must be an accomplished CEO, and those skills do not have to have been acquired in the arena of athletics. Leadership is leadership, whether those skills are honed in the military, in industry, in law, in politics or in education. We’ve watched in the past several years as lawyers are now becoming head football coaches. They’re smart, they know how to organize, they can’t be intimidated and they like the money.

Donald Trump doesn’t know anything about medicine, but if you make him CEO of a hospital and tell him to create the best hospital in the world, he can not only make that happen, he would enjoy the challenge and he would accomplish it in record time.

The qualities of superior leadership are not mysterious. We know strength when we see it, and we can sense weakness just as easily. We can deny our instincts and hope that they’re wrong, but in the end they are almost always right. And we know what Florida State needs.

Charlie Barnes is the retired senior vice president and executive director of Seminole Boosters.